jacksonville jewish news - september 2015

The Jacksonville Armada Football Club will host a Jewish Community Night, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21 at Community First Park, downtown. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in pre- and post-game festivi-ties and will receive a FREE giveaway. Details regarding ticket pur-chases and pricing will be coming soon via email, social media and the Jackson-ville Jewish News. The evening is being co-presented by the Jacksonville Armada, Jewish Federation of Jacksonville, Jewish Community Alliance, Jewish Family & Community Services, Jewish Com-munity Foundation of Northeast Florida, River Garden Senior Services, Beth-El The Beaches Synagogue, Congrega-tion Ahavath Chesed – The Temple, Etz Chaim Synagogue and the Jacksonville Jewish Center. Our synagogues and lo-cal Jewish agencies are looking forward to a great turnout and an ultimately memorable evening for the entire Jewish community, so please save the date! For more information, contact Jeanine Hoff at 904-448-5000, ext, 208 or at [email protected].

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NETANYAHU ADDRESSES IRANIsraeli PM speaks out in special webstream geared toward U.S. Federations Page 5

JEWISH NEWSacksonvilleacksonville

BIRTHRIGHT FOR MOMS SWEET NEW RECIPESWelcoming in 5776 with some tasty dishes

September 2015 • Elul/Tishrei 5775/5776 • www.jewishjacksonville.org • JaxJewish @jaxjewish • Volume 28, Number 3 • 32 pages

A publication of the

JFCS teaches inclusion for disability awareness

Jacksonville Armada to host fi rst Jewish Community NightBY JEANINE HOFFrGEN Division Director

Educational and impact-ful trip made possible with Jacksonville’s vital input

See JFNA TRIP, p. 11

Campaign chair spends week in Israel, learning how Federation touches lives

Local women take trip to the Holy Land this summer 2 Page 8

By Jewish Family & Community Services

Through JFCS’ inclusion programs, kids with disabilities can have a full Jewish experience

Jacobs (R) alongside Federation Executive Di-rector Alan Margolies overlooking Jerusalem

Teaching Haredi children math and science in classes held in the town of Be’er Sheva

Back from an emotional week-long mission trip to Israel, Jewish Federation of Jacksonville Campaign Chair and First Vice President Ken Jacobs now has a greater ap-preciation for how Jewish federations make a difference in the lives of Jews overseas and in our homeland. Jacobs spent seven impactful days at the beginning of July as part of the Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) second annual campaign workers trip to Israel.

“This particular mission had never been done before until last summer and it was

the brainchild of our very own (executive director) Alan Margolies,” Jacobs said. “He was extremely instrumental in the plan-ning for it, the vision for it and what the overarching goals would be.”

There were two main goals which Margolies and other trip architects wanted to accomplish when laying the groundwork for the mission in its initial planning stages. The fi rst was to show Federation volunteers throughout the U.S. and Canada the types of programs JFNA does in Israel and for them to fully understand the impact it has on the lives of Jews there. The second was to help train those workers to be more ef-fective advocates to gain support for their respective Federations’ campaigns.

“The ultimate goal of the mission was for us to receive training on establishing relationships with donors and how we can better teach them about the mitzvah of Tze-dakah,” Jacobs explained. “Now, there is a nationwide army, so to speak of campaign

workers who can properly help educate fellow donors.”

At fi rst, this process of learning and discovery wasn’t one Jacobs was neces-sarily looking forward to embracing, as he was used to seeing a different side of the country during his time there.

“I went into this trip thinking I wouldn’t enjoy the site visits or programs regarding the things the Federation does as much as some of the other sightseeing stops along the way, but as it turns out, the site visits were the most interesting and emotional part of the trip for me,” Jacobs recalled about his transformation. “I was simply blown away by what I saw there.”

Jacobs along with his 50 plus other trip participants made treks to places like an absorption center in Tel Aviv for Jews who were fl eeing Europe to move to Israel in or-der to escape xrising anti-Semitism which is rearing its ugly head in the region.

Dealing with a disability is often a voy-age through uncharted waters. Having guid-ance and support from knowledgeable pro-fessionals can make all the difference. The inclusion programs that JFCS has started allow families to feel less isolated as they make their way. It is hard to believe that as recently as three years ago, these programs didn’t exist, making it very diffi cult for our families to give their children a Jewish experience. Going to services and Sunday school, having a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, at-tending Jewish summer camp programs, all posed huge challenges or were simply impossible. Due to the generosity of donors and people working hard to create these programs, along with increasing awareness, understanding and acceptance within our community, this is changing.

This change is huge for many area families who are so thankful that JFCS has undertaken the mission to ensure that every child, no matter how severe their disability, can enjoy a Jewish education, take part in Jewish traditions, and feel the acceptance of the Jewish community. The inclusion programs don’t simply allow these children to experience and be part of the Jewish community, they also allow the Jewish

community to experience and be a part of the children’s lives: to acknowledge, to understand, to accept, to include and most importantly, to care. This is all the more important as the numbers of affl icted chil-dren becomes larger with each passing year.

The need for these programs has already doubled, which is why the inclu-sion programs need to continue to grow and provide support for the children and their families, increasing the acceptance and understanding throughout our com-

munity. This is possible, but only with your fi nancial support. The programs created are enriching our children’s lives. To have chil-dren going to the Galinsky Academy, Torah Academy of Jacksonville and all synagogue religious schools receiving the extra help they need to succeed is terrifi c. To know that our children can go to Sunday school and learn about their culture and heritage is wonderful. To send our children to a Jewish day camp, and have an extra person to give them the help and support they need to be

BY MATT FRANZBLAUFederation Communications Director

See DISABILITY AWARNESS , p. 21

One of the trip’s highlights was an emotional stop at the iconic Western Wall in Jerusalem

Jacksonville Jewish News • September 2015 Like us on Facebook: JaxJewish

education

Martin J. Gottlieb Day School teacher leads summer teen mission to Israel

Liat Walker, Jewish Stud-ies Coordinator for the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School is back

in the States after spending two weeks of her summer leading a group of American teens on a Federation mission trip to Israel. The overseas adventure was part of Partnership 2Gether, which

seeks to connect the Jacksonville Jewish community with its sister region of Hadera-Eiron in Israel. Comprised of fi ve teens from Tennessee, Virginia, and Jackson-ville, Sabrina Mail represented Jewish Federation of Jackson-ville in partnership with the Joan Levin’s Gift of Israel program. As a native Israeli who immigrated to the United States as a teenager, Walker was excited to lead the group in her own backyard. In addition to Hadera-Eiron, the crop of teens travelled exten-sively throughout Israel, stay-ing with host families along the way. The group also met up with Jacksonville’s Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project mission, led by Henny Fisch, for an Israeli cooking class.

Liat Walker poses with Jacksonville teen Sabrina Mail while in Israel

By Martin J. Gottlieb Day School

Block Gan’s J Away Eco Day set for September 20th

On Sunday, Sept. 20, families are invited to par-ticipate in the JCA’s fi rst fall J Away event, an Eco Day at Jacksonville Beach, to learn about sea turtle conservation and nesting sites. For Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten students, ecology and conservation are familiar subjects. That’s because through partnerships with the St. John’s Riverkeeper, The Jacksonville Zoo and visits from the Humane Society, students encounter numerous opportunities to learn about Florida’s ecological welfare throughout the school year. Pupils also collect and donate tzedakah money to help Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol and Florida Fish and Wild-life’s conservation efforts.

During the J Away Eco Day, students and staff will be joined by biologist David Jones, a represen-tative from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commis-

sion. The FFWC is an organization that, along with many other tasks, helps to protect marine turtles and their habitats from endanger-ment. Jones will lead an informa-tive discussion about sea turtle conservation, identify nesting sites and assist with a fun project. The learning begins at 10 a.m. at 16th Avenue South in Jacksonville Beach and the entire community is invited to join in this free, educa-tional family event. Participants are also invited to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy a day on the beach as drinks and a snack will be provided. Reservations are kindly requested by Sept.16. Con-tact Rochelle at 904-730-2100 ext. 259 or [email protected] to register.

BY MOLLY SWEETMichele Block Gan Yeladim

Now in its seventh year, the Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten award winning annual sympo-sium has gained a reputation in the community as the premier event for exemplary training in early childhood education. 200 educators from across the city attended last year’s event and its success and reception embodies the vision of the JCC’s of North America, which is to demonstrate outstanding achievements in pro-gramming and leadership. After several months of preparation, faculty and staff at Michel Block

Gan Yeladim is pleased to see that the fi nal pieces for this year’s program, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20, is coming together.

“We began by conducting re-search on key topics and relevant trends in early childhood educa-tion,” said Rochelle Golomb, as-sistant director of Michele Block Gan Yeladim. “Through those ef-forts we established a theme and then selected a keynote speaker as well as presenters.”

This year’s symposium, Creat-ing Wonder, will examine chil-dren’s natural curiosity and iden-tify how educators can tap into, nourish and celebrate each child’s sense of wonder. With a keynote address by Professor Gillian Mc-Namee, director of teacher educa-

tion at the Erikson Institute, one of the nation’s premier graduate schools in child development, as well as workshops with several guest clinicians, the symposium promises to be a valuable experi-ence for all educators within the community. Registration is now open for the event and the cost to attend includes a delicious ca-tered, kosher dinner. The sympo-sium takes place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Alliance (8505 San Jose Blvd.). Register online at www.jcajax.org or call 904-730-2100 ext. 259. Registrants can also email [email protected] in order to receive the Jewish edu-cator discount.

Registration now open for Block Gan’s Creating Wonder Symposium this OctBY MOLLY SWEETMichele Block Gan Yeladim

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram: @jaxjewish

www.jewishjacksonville.org

community news

w Jacksonville Jewish News • September 2015

River Garden celebrates national rehabilition week

The Rehab & Therapy Center at River Garden is pleased to celebrate National Rehabilitation Week, Sept. 20-26. Since 1976, the third week in September has been saved for this annual celebra-tion across the United States. This observance aims to promote the value of rehabilitation, and high-lights the capabilities of people with disabilities, while saluting the professionals who provide services to this community. It also goes a long way in renew-ing our commitment to meet the needs of people with disabilities in our community. This is because rehabilitation helps minimize physical or cognitive disabilities and restore those affected by potentially incapacitating diseases or traumatic injuries to health and productivity.

During the week, special focus will be given to the powers and possibilities of rehabilitation, as well as saluting the determination of people with disabilities and ap-plauding the efforts of rehabilita-tion professionals, while renewing our commitment to fulfi lling the unmet needs of people with dis-abilities. Some of the activities that are planned for the seven day

stretch include a wheelchair and walker tune up clinic, memory ac-tivities, balance assessments and adaptive equipment training.

The Rehab team at River Gar-den treats patients with functional limitations in mobility, self-care, and communication. These limitations can be a result of any number of medical conditions including: stroke, brain injury, cardiopulmonary dysfunction, amputation, fractures of the femur or hip, hip replacement, and neu-rological disorders. An individual program is created for each patient by the rehabilitation team. The team includes a staff of physicians and nurses, physical and occupa-tional therapists, speech language pathologists, a social worker, and of course, the patient. Family members are also an integral part of the team. They participate in education, therapy, and preparing for the patient’s return home.

Recovering from a serious illness or injury can be one of the greatest challenges a person can face but physical rehabilitation helps patients resume healthy, happy, and productive lifestyles. Maximum functional indepen-dence is the treatment goal for each patient. For more informa-tion, please call River Garden Rehab at 904-886-8454.

BY BOBBIE JO MENTZDirector, River Garden Rehab

Participating in sports at the JCA is a great opportunity for young players to learn valuable social and personal life skills. Studies have shown that children who participate in sports have increased academic performance and are more likely to exhibit leadership behaviors as they grow older. All of these benefi ts, combined with a supportive and caring staff, make the JCA a great choice for young athletes to hone their skills and make valuable friendships in the process.

This fall, the JCA will hold assessments for two basketball clinics. Youth Basketball League starts in November with a skills-assessment tentatively sched-uled for Nov. 8 and JCA Select Basketball, for players who want

to compete at the highest level, will hold tryouts on Monday, Sept. 21. Beginning Sept. 13, players in the JCA Youth Soccer League will learn their sport’s fundamentals while having fun in an organized, competitive and social atmosphere. Also beginning Sept. 13, is the Lacrosse Skills Clinic, which is for beginner and intermediate players and helps players perfect their skills and master the fundamentals using a variety of drills.

Additionally, JCA Fencing be-gins Sept. 20 for 7 to 13-year-olds and the JCA continues to offer ongoing tennis clinics for youth of all ages as well as Ameri-can Red Cross Learn-to-Swim programs for children six months all the way to 12 years old. For information on these programs, visit jcajax.org or contact the JCA registrar at 904-730-2100 ext. 228.

BY IMAN BYFIELDJewish Community Alliance

Youth basketball and more now off ered at the JCA

• Athens Cafe (p.9)• Anti Defamation League

(p.15)• B&C Financial (p. 15)• Beachview Rentals (p. 8)• Beirut Restaurant (p. 24)• Bob Ham Eyewear (p. 24)• Borland Groover (p. 2)• Brandon Pest Control (p.4) • Congregation Ahavath

Chesed (p. 32)• Davoli’s Catering (p. 18)• DuBow Preschool (p. 18)• Erica Jolles Realty (p. 11)• Federation’s High Holy

Day message (p. 29)• The Florida Forum (p. 31)• Hadassah (p. 17)• Heekin Clinic (P. 3)• Impressions (p. 29)• Innovative Financial

Solutions (p. 15)

• Jewish Book Festival (p. 16)• Jewish Museum of Florida

(p. 25)• Jerry Seebol (p. 29)• Maid Brigade (p. 2)• Margo’s Catering (p. 4 & 8)• Nancy Rubenstein Realtor

(p. 24)• PaigeWajsman Realty (p. 4)• Pediatric Dentistry (p. 29)• Publix (p. 14)• River Garden (p. 23, 30)• Rosh Hashanah greetings

(p. 26-28)• RPM Automotive (p. 16)• Spivak’s Institute (p. 25) • Stein Mart (p. 13)• Temple Sisterhood (p. 3)• The Tax Man (p. 29)• Tumbling Kids ( p. 9)• Vandroff Insurance (p. 4)• Winn Dixie (p. 19)

At the Jacksonville Jewish News, our advertisers are precious to us. It is with their support that the Jacksonville Jewish commu-nity has a newspaper. Advertising revenue also off sets the cost of production, so Federation dollars can be dedicated to helping Jews locally and overseas. Please continue to live generously and support our advertisers:

Business Directory .......... p. 29Community News ............................................. p. 3-4, 6, 11-12Education ......p. 2, 10, 18, 24Federation News . p. 13, 16-17 Foundation .................... p. 22High Holy Days coverage ................................................. p. 7-8

JCA ................................. p. 20JCFS .................................p. 21 Lifecycles ......................... p. 29Opinion & Cartoons ........... P. 5River Garden ................... p. 23New Year Greetings ...p. 26-28Synagogue News ...............................................p. 9, 25, 30-31

For your advertising needs, please contact advertising sales representative Barbara Nykerk at 904-733-4179 or Eta Perras at 904-629-0466.

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Jax Jewish Singles to mingle at the St. Johns Town CenterBY FRANCINE SMITHJax Jewish Singles

Join the Jax Jewish Singles for delicious lunch at Nordstrom’s restaurant Bazille, which offers bistro cuisine in a casually so-phisticated atmosphere. After-

wards attendees can browse the department store or visit the many other shops at the St. Johns Town Center. Contact Francine for the exact date and time of the event at 904-221-8061 or email her at [email protected].

page 4 Jacksonville Jewish News • September 2015 Like us on Facebook: JaxJewish Follow us on Twitter & Instagram: @jaxjewish

JJN Ad Directory - Sept. 2015

opinion

JEWISH NEWS

Advertising RepresentativesBarbara Nykerk • 904.733.4179

Eta Perras • 904.629.0466

Editor & Communications DirectorMatt Franzblau • [email protected]

Communications CommitteeJon Israel, ChairShirley Bielski

Helen HillMichele Katz

Joan LevinAndrea Mail

Rachel MorgenthalAndrew OceanMarsha Pollock

Federation PresidentSandy Zimmerman

Federation Executive DirectorAlan Margolies

8505 San Jose Blvd. • Jacksonville, FL 32217Th e Jacksonville Jewish News is published monthly. All submit-

ted content becomes the property of the Jacksonville Jewish News. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are pub-lished as a service to the community and do not necessarily repre-sent the views of the Jacksonville Jewish News or its publisher, the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville. Th e Jacksonville Jewish News is not responsible for the Kashruth of any product advertised.

Copy deadlines: All news, photographs, etc., must be received by the 6th of each month, and sent to [email protected].

Ad deadlines: All ads must be received by the 15th of each month and sent to [email protected] in .pdf format.

acksonvilleacksonville

We live in a culture that does not allow for mistakes or er-rors. Admitting to imperfection; admitting to being wrong – is tantamount to stating ones lack of intelligence or abilities. Th is is of course neither true, nor helpful to achieving one’s long-term goals. On the contrary, the inability to admit ones’ lack of perfection is detrimental to one’s growth. About 25 years ago, in his now classic study, Harvard profes-sor Chris Agyris postulated that admitting mistakes is the biggest challenge for the smart people in our society. It is this challenge which actually prevents them from learning. Add to that the high expectations and thus the consequent feelings of inadequacy that the past few generations have been plagued with; you end up with Western Society as we know it. Sound familiar?

In addition, the current cultur-al trend of Rugged Individualism doesn’t help the situation. It has created a society where those idol-ized as successful are only those

who have reached the pinnacle to become the richest, the brightest, and the most well-known.

Th is causes a tremendous lack of self-esteem in the young adults of today; because in any given situation, there can only be one person who is THE best. In school, there can be only one valedictorian; in a hospital, there is only one chief of surgery. When one looks at life this way, all it becomes is a rat race to just work harder, go further, climber higher – to achieve the ultimate goal of being ‘on top’, with little consid-eration for the process, and zero room for mistakes.

We oft en get so caught up in the world we live in that we don’t even realize how caught up we re-ally are! But when one takes a step back, they can see the intrinsic disparity between Western and Jewish value systems and the in-herent advantages that the Jewish system has to off er.

Judaism teaches that God doesn’t only judge us based on how high we have climbed, but rather on how hard we have worked to get there. In the words of my father, Rabbi Yitzchak

Feigenbaum (may he live and be well): “It doesn’t matter what rung you’re on, what matters is how hard you climbed to get there.”

When you think about it, life is like a road trip. While every-one does eventually want to get to their destina-tion, the journey is just as, if not more, important than the arrival itself. Th e constant eff ort, deter-mination and willpower it takes to keep going is more impressive than the fi nal objective. While this is an important and outlook-changing concept, let’s take it one step further. Judaism not only believes in the importance of the journey over the destina-tion; it also believes that along this journey, mistakes are not only

unavoidable, but necessary. Th e Torah teaches us the concept of ‘Sheva Yipol Tzaddik V’kam’ – ‘seven times a righteous person falls down and seven times he/she gets back up.’ (Mishlai 24:16). On a simple level, this is teaching us that even a righteous person makes mistakes and can get back up, continuing on with their jour-ney. How much more so for us who are still working on our path to righteousness; we too have the ability to make mistakes, and get back up and continue on.

Our Sages of blessed memory explains that this concept has a much deeper meaning. In order to become a righteous person, one must fall down! It is only through the process of faltering and mak-ing mistakes, and then picking oneself up and trying again, that one can become righteous. One cannot truly grow without mak-ing mistakes and aft er you have made a mistake, get up, learn your lesson, and move on. Th is is what the Jewish idea of repentance, teshuva, is all about. It is about acknowledging the errors in our ways, and instead of wallowing in self-loathing; taking this knowl-

edge and channeling it in the best way possible.

As we head into the month of Elul; the Jewish time period of repentance and renewal, let us try and take this concept to heart. If there is only one Rosh Hashana resolution you make this year, let it be to acknowledge that you are still a work in progress; accept your own imperfections, and celebrate your mistakes as opportunities for learning and growth. Th is will allow you to move forward and become the best possible version of yourself. May we all merit seeing the good in our mistakes and use them as a springboard for future spiritual growth. Shana Tova!

Rabbi Avi Feigenbaum, original-ly from Toronto, Canada, moved to Jacksonville with his wife Devora and beautiful daughters in August 2013. He previously served as a member of the Kansas City Com-munity Kollel for two years where he spearheaded many outreach activities. He is an alumnus of Ner L’elef Center For Jewish Leadership Training and Community Out-reach and the Mirrer Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

RABBINICALLYSPEAKING

BY RABBI AVI FEIGENBAUMEtz Chaim Synagogue

Enjoying the journey & remembering we’re a work in progress

Netanyahu speaks out against Iran deal in special web address

This past month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a short address via video web stream that was made avail-able to those affi liated with Jew-ish Federations across America. During the 20-minute speech, Netanyahu spoke about the specifi c points of the nuclear deal recently brokered between the United States and Iran and why it was a potentially dangerous one for Israel and its allies.

The three-term Israeli leader laid out what he called ‘three fatal fl aws of the deal,’ and then took a handful of pre-submitted ques-tions from viewers who had sat in on the talk.

“The nuclear deal with Iran doesn’t block its path to the bomb but it actually paves Iran’s path to the bomb,” he said in his initial remarks. “What’s worse is it actually gives Iran two paths to the bomb because Iran can get to the bomb by keeping the deal or it can get to the bomb by violating the deal.”

Netanyahu explained that the deal would allow Iran to keep a path to the bomb by maintaining the vast nuclear infrastructure it already has in place and that in roughly 15-years the restrictions placed upon the country will just expire.

“Those restrictions will be lifted and at that point Iran will be able to produce enough enriched

uranium for an entire arsenal of nuclear weapons and it could pro-duce that arsenal very quickly,” he continued. “After 15 years, Iran’s break out time will be practically zero, just a few days and Presi-dent Obama said as much in a recent interview with NPR.”

The second path the Prime Minister told viewers was if the nation once listed on the U.S.’ axis of evil violated the agree-ment. He also cited the issues of intelligence and inspections as another major fl aw in the deal as it took years for the world to discover both Iran and Syria’s recent nuclear activity through both methods.

“Neither intelligence nor inspections prevented North Korea from developing atomic bombs despite assurance that they wouldn’t be able to do so,” he carefully detailed in his recent remarks.

It’s because of this fact he warned Americans and the world that Iranian offi cials could still be conducting nuclear experiments under the veil of the agreement.

“If a facility under the deal is suspected of housing secret nuclear activity, inspectors must wait at least 24 days before get-ting access to those suspected sites,” he criticized. “Not only that but the inspectors must share with Iran the critical intelligence that made them suspect the sites in the fi rst place, which I feel is astounding.”

Netanyahu said that 24-day

window would be plenty of time to clean up any evidence of nuclear activity as to not arouse suspicion from inspectors. He also pointed out that the deal would give the Middle Eastern country a large cash fl ow which it would in turn use to fund its terroristic threats in the region and around the world.

“It’s been said that most of the money Iran will get will not go to its terrorism and aggression, well let’s suppose that is true,” he stat-ed hypothetically. “Let’s suppose that Iran just takes 10 percent for terrorism which is 10 percent of nearly half a trillion dollars that Iran is expected to receive over the next 10 to 15 years.”

He said that staggering amount of money would easily turn any terrorist group sponsored by Iran into a terrorist superpower.

“As a result of this deal, there will be more terrorism, more at-tacks and more people will die,” he blatantly stated. “My solemn responsibilities as Prime Minister is to make sure Israel’s concerns are heard.”

He went on to emphasize that those who oppose this deal do not want war but rather peace and that it is the Israelis who will ultimate-ly pay the highest price if fi ghting breaks out.

“What we do now will affect our lives and the lives of our chil-dren and grandchildren in Israel, in America and everywhere … oppose this dangerous deal,” he concluded.


www.jewishjacksonville.org Jacksonville Jewish News • September 2015

Scan to listen to Netanyahu’s full speech on

Jacksonville Jewish News • September 2015

community news

Jimmy Jaff a

Jaffa built the Eruv of Jacksonville with his own two hands more than a dozen years ago. This allows observant Jews to carry and bring their kids to shul on Shabbat. His contributions have aided the growth of observant Jews in the community as there are now dozens of new folks who have moved to the area since its inception. Jaffa continues to donate much of his time for main-tenance and repairs of the Eruv, which goes above and beyond the duties of his role as house chair of Etz Chaim, com-ing in at all hours to make sure every-thing is as it should be.

If you have someone in mind you would like to nominate for Mensch of the Month, who volunteers both their time and efforts to the Jacksonville Jewish community, simply submit their name, photo and a short write up about them to [email protected]

Eruv Architect

September 2015

An array of adult sports programming isoffered at the Jewish Community Alliance

The Jewish Community Alli-ance is known for its unparalleled children’s athletic programming but also offers many programs for adult athletes and those seeking fun, social adult sports activities. Beginning in the fall, the JCA is offering adult soccer, fencing and tennis clinics. These clinics come at an opportune time as a recent poll showed that while three in four adults played sports as chil-dren, only one in four continued to play into adulthood. Of those adults who play sports, more than 50 percent show a reduction in

stress and improved mental and physical health. While exercises like walking, jogging and biking remain popular ways to stay fi t for most adults, there are many, if not more, benefi ts to playing sports for physical fi tness.

The JCA Adult Soccer League allows participants to form teams of six to eight players for 5-on-5 play, but players can also regis-ter individually or with friends to be placed on a team. Rosters must be submitted by Sept. 7 as league play begins Sept. 13 and continues through Nov. 1. The next session of JCA Fencing for adults starts Oct. 14 and continues through Dec. 9. Tennis clinics at

the JCA are ongoing and include ladies’ tennis clinics as well as a new working women’s team in addition to men’s tennis clinics. For more information on these and other adult programming at the JCA, visit jcajax.org or con-tact the JCA registrar at 904-730-2100 ext. 228.


The JCA offers a variety of sports for adults to partcipate in including basketball, soccer, fencing and tennis

Ehud Barak to speak in Jacksonville October 5

The 24th season of the Florida Forum opens October 5, with for-mer Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, an international diplomat, peace broker and the most deco-rated soldier in Israel’s history.

The Florida Forum presents diverse and poignant speakers who enrich, enlighten and inspire us all, while raising vital funds for Wolfson Children’s Hospital. The 2015-2016 series also presents former First Lady Laura Bush and a superstar NFL quarterback.

“In response to input from the Jacksonville Jewish community and as a tribute to Wolfson Chil-dren’s Hospital’s founder, Morris ‘Pop’ Wolfson, The Women’s Board is proud to present such a distinguished Israeli leader,” said Past Women’s Board President Karen Wolfson. “A man of deep integrity and high accomplish-ment in his personal and profes-sional life, and a leading voice on Israel and the Middle East, Mr. Barak honors us as our fi rst speaker of the 2015-16 Florida Forum season.”

Barak, a major player in Middle East peace efforts, offers a fi rsthand account of global politics, world economics and the state of Israel. He began his 50-plus years of military service to Israel at age 17 upon his accep-tance to the elite commando unit, Sayaret Matkaland. He quickly distinguished himself for ingenu-ity, coolness, and bravery under fi re.

He earned acclaim as a brilliant military strategist and for person-ally leading daring covert raids including the Spring of the Youth in Beirut, where - disguised as a woman - he led the assassination of the Palestine Liberation Army members. He retired from the military in 1995 as a lieutenant general, the army’s highest rank.

His career continued in politics where, as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001 and as Israeli Minister of Defense from 2007 to 2013, he garnered a reputation as a global statesman and a broker for peace in the Middle East. Mr. Barak took part in the Camp David 2000 Summit, an effort to solve the Israeli-Palestinian confl ict, which regrettably was not successful. He reactivated peace talks with Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and reopened peace talks with Syria after 30 years of deadlock.

Mr. Barak is also recognized for his far-reaching and posi-tive impact on Israel’s economic prosperity, leading Israel out of a recession and into an economic boom. A multi-millionaire, in private life Barak served as an adviser to hedge funds and private equity funds.

The former Israeli Prime Min-ister earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Physics from the Hebrew University in Jerusa-lem and his M.SC in Economic Engineering Systems at Stanford University in California. Trained as a classical pianist, Barak was born Ehud Brog but later changed his name to Barak, which means ‘lightning’ in Hebrew. His pater-nal grandparents were murdered in Lithuania in 1912, leaving his father orphaned at age two. His maternal grandparents died during the Holocaust at Treblinka.

Mr. Barak can speak with authority on a variety of issues, including international diplomacy, global economics and terrorism.

The Florida Forum will con-tinue on Nov. 10 with Mrs. Laura Bush and conclude March 2, 2016 with an iconic American athlete. All three events will be held at the Times-Union Center For The Performing Arts at 7 p.m.

Subscription packages to the Florida Forum are available with options to meet the speak-ers at private receptions and may be purchased online at www.thefl oridaforum.com or by calling 904-202-2886. Group sales are also available.

With the help of corporate sponsors and many individuals, The Women’s Board has raised more than $25 million for Wolf-son Children’s Hospital with the goal of providing the best, most technologically advanced health care for children. In addition to the Florida Forum, The Women’s Board will present the 39th annual Art & Antiques Show Dec. 4-6, 2015 at the Prime Osborne Con-vention Center.

BY JULIE HOWARDThe Florida Forum

River Garden Auxiliary begins its year with special opening meeting

The River Garden Auxiliary is starting the year with its opening meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 12 p.m. in River Garden’s Cohen Au-ditorium. The lunch will be a real delicatessen lunch served family style. The event’s honored guest will be none other than friend and storyteller extraordinaire, Elliott Palevsky, who will share a special holiday story with everyone.

A Chinese auction will be held featuring some unique pieces of jewelry, in addition to gift cards and gift baskets. Also available will be very gently used books for sale at reasonable prices. Lunch is only $10 per person and prices for the Chinese auction are $4 for one ticket, $10 for three tickets and $20 for seven tickets. Those who haven’t already paid their $25 annual dues, will be able to

do so that day as well. As always, all proceeds generated from the event will benefi t the residents of River Garden. The Deadline for reservations is Thursday, Sept. 3 and can be made by emailing Mimi Kaufman at [email protected], or Evelyn Peck at [email protected] . Reserva-tions will also be accepted over the phone by calling Ina Hall at 904-262-5207.

By River Garden Auxiliary

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Former Israeli PM Ehud Barak


HIGH HOLIDAY SCHEDULES

288 N. Roscoe Blvd.Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082bethelbeaches.org 904-273-9100

Saturday, Sept. 5 - SelichotService: 7 p.m.Reception: 8 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 13 - Erev Rosh HashanahService: 7 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 14 - Rosh Hashanah Day 1Service: 10 a.m.Youth Service: 10 a.m. Taschlich: 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 15Rosh Hashanah Day 2Service: 10 a.m.

Sunday, Sept. 20 - Cemetery Service - Ponte Vedra ValleyCemetery (Beth El Section):Service: 10 a.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 22 - Kol NidreService: 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 23 - Yom KippurService: 10 a.m. Youth Service: 10 a.m. Rabbi’s Discussion: 1:30 p.m. Community Youth and Family Service: 2:45 – 3:40 p.m. Yizkor: 4:30 p.m.Followed by Neilah and HavdalahBreak Fast: 6:30 p.m.

8727 San Jose Blvd.Jacksonville, FL 32217thetemplejacksonville.org904-733-7078

Saturday, Sept. 5 - SelichotThe 6th Annual Joint Selichot Program and Service With the Jacksonville Jewish CenterDessert Reception: 8:30 p.m. Program: 9:15 p.m. Selichot Service at Ahavath Chesed: 10:30 p.m. Traditional Midnight Selichot at 11:45 p.m.at the Jacksonville Jewish Center

Sunday, Sept. 13 - Erev Rosh HashanahFamily Service: 5:30 p.m. Evening Worship: 8 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 14 - Rosh HashanahTot Service: 9:15 a.m.Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Experience and Teen Congregation: 11 a.m. Taschlich: 12:30 p.m. at Epping Forest Luncheon: 1 p.m. at Epping Forest

Sunday, Sept. 20 - Cemetery ServicesEvergreen Cemetery 9 a.m. King David Garden at Greenlawn 9 a.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 22 - Kol NidreFamily Service: 5:30 p.m. Evening Worship: 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 23 - Yom KippurTot Experience: 9:15 a.m.Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Experience and Teen Congregation: 11 a.m. Adult Discussion: 1:30 p.m. Afternoon Worship: 2:30 p.m. Yizkor Service: 4:45 p.m.Neilah & Havdalah followed by Break-the-Fast: 5:15 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 27 - Erev SukkotSook-out and Sukkah Decorating: 12 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 28 - SukkotWorship in the Sukkah: 10:30 a.m.

Monday, Oct. 5 - Shemini AtzeretWorship with Yizkor: 10:30 a.m.

Friday, Oct. 9 - Simchat TorahCelebration and ConsecrationWorship and hakafot - 6 p.m.

10167 San Jose Blvd.Jacksonville, FL 32257etzchaim.org904-262-3565

Sunday, Sept. 13 -Erev Rosh HashanahSelichot and Shacharis: 6 a.m.Candle lighting: 7:16 p.m. Mincha: 7:15 p.m.

Monday Sept. 14 - Rosh Hashanah Day 1 Main Minyan, Wolfson Sanctuary: 8 a.m.Sephardic Minyan, Mirkis Chapel: 8 a.m.Youth Programs, School wing: 8:45 a.m.Explanatory Class Part 1 with Rena Schochet on the topic of preparing for meaningful change: 10-10:30 a.m. Sermon by Rabbi Yaakov Fisch: 10:40 a.m.Kiddush: 11 a.m.Shofar Service: 11:20 a.m.Mussaf: 11:40 a.m.Explanatory Class Part 1 with Rabbi Avi Feigenbaum on the topic of Rosh Hasha-nah - Your GPS for the Year: 12:30 p.m. Mincha followed by Taschlich: 6:45 p.m.Candle lighting after (from existing fl ame): 8:14 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 15 - Rosh Hashanah Day 2 Main Minyan, Wolfson Sanctuary: 8 a.m.Sephardic Minyan, Mirkis Chapel: 8 a.m.Youth Programs, School wing: 8:45 a.m.Explanatory Class Part 2 with Rena Schochet: on the topic of preparing for meaningful change: 10-10:30 a.m.Sermon by Rabbi Yaakov Fisch: 10:40 a.m.Kiddush: 11 a.m.Shofar Service: 11:20 a.m.Mussaf: 11:40 a.m.Explanatory Class Part 2 with Rabbi Avi Feigenbaum on the topic of Shofar, A Call for Freedom: 12:30 p.m.Candle lighting: 7:15 p.m.Maariv and Havdallah: 8:15 p.m.

Shabbos Saturday, Sept. 19 - (Shabbos Shuvah)Main Minyan, Wolfson Sanctuary: 9 a.m.Sephardic Minyan, Mirkis Chapel: 9 a.m.Youth Programs, School Wing: 9:45 a.m.Mincha: 6:05 p.m.Shabbos Shuvah Drasha: 6:30 p.m.Maariv and Havdalla: 7:59 p.m.

Sunday Sept. 20 Community Memorial Service at the Etz Chaim Cemetery: 10:30 a.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 22 - Erev Yom Kippur Selihot and Shacharis: 6:30 a.m.Mincha: 3 p.m.Candle lighting: 7:04 p.m. Kol Nidre: 7:04 p.m.Sermon by Rabbi Yaakov Fisch: 7:30 p.m.President’s Address: 7:50 p.m.Maariv: 8:10 p.m.Explanatory Class with Rabbi Avi Feigenbaum on the topic of Knocking on Heaven’s Door: 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 23 - Yom Kippur Day Main Minyan, Wolfson Sanctuary: 8 a.m.Sephardic Minyan, Mirkis Chapel: 8 a.m.Youth Programs, School wing: 8:45 a.m.Explanatory Class Part 3 withRena Schochet on the topic of preparing for meaningful change: 10:15 a.m.Sermon by Rabbi Yaakov Fisch: 11 a.m.Torah Reading: 11:20 a.m.President’s Address: 11:50 a.m.Yizkor: 12 p.m.Mussaf: 12:15 p.m.Explanatory Service the topic of Working towards a Breakthrough and not a Break the Fast with Rabbi Feigenbaum: 12:15 p.m.Mincha and Ne’ilah: 5 p.m. Explanatory Class with Rena Schochet: 5 p.m.Conclusion of Yom Kippur and Shofar Blowing: 8:04 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 27 - Erev Sukkos Candle lighting: 6:58 p.m.Mincha: 7 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 28 - Sukkos Day 1 Shacharis: 9 a.m.Mincha: 7 p.m., followed by Candle lighting (from existing fl ame): 7:58 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 29 - Sukkos Day 2 Shacharis: 9 a.m.NCSY Sukkah Hop: 2:30 p.m.Mincha: 7 p.m.Maariv and Havdallah: 7:59 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 4 – Hashanah Rabbah /Erev Shmini AtzeretCandle Lighting: 6:49 p.m.Mincha: 6:50 p.m.Maariv and Havdalla: 7:42 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 5 – Shemini Atzeret / Erev Simchat TorahShacharis: 9 a.m.Yizkor: 10:30 a.m.Mincha: 6:50 p.m.Candle lighting after (from existing fl ame) and Maariv: 7:48 p.m. followed by Festive singing and dancing in honor of Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

Tuesday, Oct. 6 - Simchat Torah Shacharis: 8 a.m.Following services, special lunch in honor of the Chasan Torah and Chasan BereishisMincha, then Neilas Hachag: 6:30 p.m.Maariv and Havdallah: 7:49 p.m.

3662 Crown Point RoadJacksonville, FL 32257jaxjewishcenter.com904-268-4200

Saturday, Sept. 5 - Selichot The 6th Annual Joint Selichot Program and Service with Congregation Ahavath ChesedDessert Reception: 8:30 p.m. Program: 9:15 p.m. Selichot Service at Ahavath Chesed: 10:30 p.m. Traditional Midnight Selichot at 11:45 p.m.at the Jacksonville Jewish Center Sunday, Sept. 13 - Erev Rosh HashanahMinha/Ma’ariv: 6:15 p.m. Candle lighting: 7:16 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14 - Rosh Hashanah Day 1Shaharit: 7:45 a.m.Torah service: 9 a.m.Shofar service: 10 a.m.Kavanah (Alternative) Service: 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.K - 12 Youth services: 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.Preschool Family Service: 11:15 a.m. - 12 p.m.Sermon: 11 a.m.Musaf: 11:30 a.m.Taschlich: 6 p.m.Mincha: 6:45 p.m. followed by study session and Ma’ariv. Tuesday, Sept. 15 –Rosh Hashanah Day 2Shaharit: 7:45 a.m.Torah service: 8:30 a.m.Shofar service: 9:30 a.m.Kavanah (Alternative) Service: 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.K - 12 Youth services: 10:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.Musaf: 10:30 a.m.Mincha: 7:15 p.m. followed by study session and Ma’ariv. Wednesday, Sept. 16 – Fast of GedaliahMorning service at 7:10 a.m., Evening service at 6:15 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20 – Annual Memorial Service New Center Cemetery: 10:30 a.m.Beth Shalom Cemetery: 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22 – Erev Yom KippurMorning Service: 7:10 a.m.Mincha: 6:45 p.m. followed by Kol NidreCandle lighting: 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 – Yom Kippur DayShaharit: 7:45 a.m.Torah service: 9:30 a.m.Kavanah (Alternative) Service: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.K - 12 Youth services: 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.President’s address: 11 a.m.Musaf service: 11:30 a.m.Rabbi’s sermon (followed by Yizkor): 1:45 p.m.Taking a Gamble on Yom Kippur - A Yom Kippur Afternoon ConversationDialogue/Discussion with Rabbi Lubliner: 4 p.m. (Main Sanctuary) Healing Service: 4 p.m.Mincha: 5:15 p.m. Ne’ilah: 6:30 p.m.Fast ends at 7:58 p.m., followed by

Ma’ariv, Final Shofar and Break-the-Fast Sunday, Sept. 27 – Erev Sukkot Morning Service: 8:30 a.m.Mincha/Ma’ariv: 6:30 p.m. Candle lighting: 6:58 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28 – Sukkot Services 1st Day Shaharit: 9 a.m.Mincha: 7 p.m., followed by study session and Ma’ariv Candle lighting: 7:58 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29 – Sukkot Services 2nd Day Shaharit: 9 a.m.Mincha: 7 p.m. followed by study session and Ma’ariv Sunday, Oct. 4 – Hashanah Rabbah /Erev Shmini AtzeretShaharit: 8 a.m.Mincha/Ma’ariv: 6 p.m.Candle lighting: 6:50 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 – Shemini Atzeret / Erev Simchat TorahShaharit: 9 a.m. with YizkorFamily Simhat Torah Celebration with Young Children in the Benjamin Setzer Social Hall: 5:30 p.m Mincha in the Joe & Sophie Witten Chapel: 6:45 p.m. Ma’ariv and Simchat Torah Celebration for Adults, Teens and Children in main Sanctuary: 7:30 p.m.Candle lighting: 7:50 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 – Simchat TorahShaharit/Family Simchat Torah Service in the main Sanctuary: 9 a.m. Mincha followed by study session and Ma’ariv: 6 p.m. Candle lighting: 7:48 p.m.

2055 Wildwood Drive.St. Augustine, FL 32086templebetyam.org904-819-1875

Friday, Sept. 4 - Selichot Shabbat: 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 13 - Erev Rosh Hashanah: 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 14 - Rosh Hashanah Day Children’s Service: 9 a.m.Morning Service : 10 a.m. Kiddush followed by Taschlich: 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 22 - Kol Nidre: 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 23 - Yom Kippur Day Children’s Service: 9 a.m.Morning Service: 10 a.m.Afternoon Service: 3:15 p.m. Yizkor and Neilah Service: 4:45 p.m. Havdalah & Break-the-Fast: 6:15 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 27 - Sukkot Celebration Time TBD

161 Cordova StreetSt. Augustine, FL 32084fi rst-congregationsonsofi srael.org904-829-9532

Sunday, Sept. 13 - Erev Rosh Hashanah: 7:15 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 14 - Rosh Hashanah Day 1: 10:00 a.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 15 - Rosh Hashanah Day 2: 10:00 a.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 22 - Kol Nidre/Erev Yom Kippur: 7:15 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 23 - Yom Kippur: 9 a.m., Yikzor Memorial Service held after HaftarahMincha afternoon service: 5:30 p.m.Neelah Concluding Service: 7 p.m.

high holY days coverage


High holiday kids’ coloring project

To begin coloring, cut out stencil!Scan in and upload your fi nished project to the Federation’s Facebook page

Sweet recipes to cook up for 5776

As Labor Day weekend ap-proaches I can’t help but think of how signifi cant that weekend was in the 1950’s and 60’s for my family and friends in the Catskills. For us and other locals in our resort village of Ellenville, N.Y. in the ‘Borscht Belt’, it meant we could now breathe a sigh of relief from the high energy level of the summer season. The crowded streets and stores once fi lled with tourists, campers and summer workers would fi nally return to normalcy. My parents, who owned a kosher butcher shop, could now relax after working day and night servicing the many hotels, camps and bungalows in the area. They were also able to plan their winter vacation in Miami, which by that point they desperately needed. Additionally, that time served as the point in the year where my brother and I prepared for school, which always began the day after Labor Day. The tourist season was a boon to Ellenville’s economy and we were grateful for the many jobs it created for the locals, but while the season’s end may have been a relief in some respects, it was also sad saying goodbye to my many summer friends who I would not see again until the following summer. Too bad we didn’t have email avail-able to us then!

Prior to Labor Day weekend, there was a fl urry of activity for the bungalow families who were packing their belongings to bring home to the ‘city’. Everyone carefully separated and stored the supplies, housewares and other paraphernalia for the next summer season but those who were not returning would pack everything because it had to go back home. Cars, especially station wag-ons, would be crammed to the roof with cartons and suitcases leaving little room for people. It was a bumper-to-bumper trip for

thousands of families returning via Route 17 to New York City the Sunday before Labor Day. The ride home usually included a stop at the iconic Red Apple Rest. As diffi cult as this routine was for the bungalow families, the time spent in the clean fresh air of the moun-tains compared to the hot, muggy city life made it all worthwhile. As the renters began their treks back home, the bungalow colony owners began making repairs, painting, nailing down shutters and windows of the bungalows and winterizing the pool, casino and other recreation areas, only to be ready for the colony opening back up the following Memorial Day.

Many hotels in our area remained open through Labor Day as it was a big weekend for celebrity headliners to perform. The larger hotels were year-round, but the smaller ones were seasonal so it was time for them as well to repair, paint and winterize their properties. Waiters and busboys, bellhops and offi ce staff said their farewells and many imme-diately applied for weekend jobs at the nearby year-round resorts. I imagine that local residents in resort areas such as Cape Cod, the Berkshires, North and South Carolina, Lake Michigan, Atlantic City, and up in Maine share in similar experiences. It’s quite signifi cant that the summer season for Catskill tourists began on Memorial Day and ended on La-bor Day. It was a summer season sandwiched between two very sig-nifi cant holidays in American life as one remembered all those who bravely gave their lives for their country and the other honors the social and economic achievements of the American worker. It’s a wonderful memory and a great country so that’s why I invite you to share your Catskills memories on the Facebook page entitled, ‘I Had the Time of My Life in the Catskills—Borscht Belt’.

A genuine Catskills gal remembers Labor Day

BY ISABEL BALOTINShalom Jacksonville Director

Balotin enjoying a party with her summer friends in the Catskills in 1957

Scan code for additional recipe

of apple and parsnip soup from

Joy of Kosher’sJamie Geller



synagogue news


The Athens Cafe family wants to wish

all our customers:

Beth El – The Beaches givesto the Donna Foundation

Recently, Beth El – The Beach-es Synagogue donated a check for $250 dollars to the Donna Foundation which it helped raise through its fourth annual corned beef sandwich sale. The Donna Foundation is an organization which provides aid and assistance to women living with breast cancer. “It gives us great pleasure to share our fundraising efforts by giving back to the community and

The Donna Foundation does such a wonderful job in providing such a vital service to our community.” Foundation director Julie Terraz-zano said. “We are honored and thankful to have had Beth El Syn-agogue as a partner with us for the past three years and look forward to a continuing relationship in our support of women living with cancer.” In addition to The Donna Foundation, Beth El provided 500 corned beef sandwiches to The Mission House to feed the needy of the greater beaches community.

By Beth El - The Beaches Synagogue

Accepting a check from Denice Goldberg (right), Chairperson for Beth El, The Beaches Synagogue Corned Beef Sandwich Sale and Helen Sie-gal (left) is Julie Terrazzano (center), Director of The Donna Foundation

Jacksonville Jewish Center gears up for Operation Isaiah during High Holy Day season

With Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur right around the corner, the Jacksonville Jewish Center is gearing up for its annual High Holidays food drive as part of Operation Isaiah. Because of the emergency situation that exists as far as donations go, it is impera-tive that our efforts surpass the amount of food given during last year’s drive which exceeded 3,000 pounds of food. The Cen-ter’s social action committee is responding to this emergency, as on Rosh Hashanah congregants will receive grocery bags to take home and fi ll with non-perishable foods. These bags will be donated to Jewish Family & Community Services’ Winn-Dixie pantry.

Operation Isaiah is an all-year-round program providing food and toiletries to needy families in Jacksonville through the JFCS pantry, but a special effort is made around the High Holidays. On Yom Kippur we read from Isaiah 58:7 which states, “It is to share bread with the hungry and to take the poor into your home”. That is why the Center is asking everyone in the community to help others in need at this special time in the Hebrew calendar and to help us fulfi ll the words of the prophet Isaiah. Donations of packaged and canned foods can be dropped off inside the carts at the Jacksonville Jewish Center’s front lobby (3662 Crown Point Drive) from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

By Jacksonville Jewish Center

The Temple to honor fi rst responders on anniversary of September 11th attacks

Sept. 11, 2001 is a date we will never forget – the tragedy, the heroism, the pain, the sor-row, and the community spirit that formed as a result. It’s with this in mind that The Temple will honor Jacksonville’s fi rst responders during Kabbalat Shabbat worship, Friday, Sept. 11, beginning at 7 p.m. Sher-

riff Mike Williams and former Sherriff John Rutherford will participate, along with other JSO and JFRD personnel.

“As members of a minority religious community here in Jacksonville, we are profoundly grateful to live, work and pray in freedom, safety and security thanks to the diligence of our fi rst responders,” said Congre-gation Ahavath Chesed senior Rabbi Joshua Lief. “On this an-

niversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on our nation, we want to give thanks and offer our blessings to these brave men and women. May they continue to watch over us and be safe in the performance of their duties.”

The entire community is welcome to join The Temple’s congregation for its special ser-vice of worship this Shabbat.

By Congregation Ahavath Chesed


EDUCATION

DuBow Preschool earns coveted fi ve star rating from Guiding Stars of Duval

The DuBow Preschool is proud to announce that it is the recent recipient of a fi ve-star rating from the Guiding Stars of Duval (GSOD). Guiding Stars rates preschools on how well teach-ers, classrooms and curriculum combine to get little minds ready for kindergarten. Only 15 percent of schools in the program rate at the fi ve-star level and the DuBow Preschool is proud to be part of that auspicious group.

“We’re thrilled to have earned the mark of excellence from the Guiding Stars program and to be recognized for reaching their highest professional standards,” said Shereen Canady, DuBow Preschool Early Childhood Direc-tor. “I am proud of our teachers and their deep commitment and love for our children.”

GSOD not only rates the train-ing and qualifi cations of staff, but also how well the school’s pro-grams engage families and how the preschool conducts business. The goal of GSOD is to improve the quality of early care and learn-ing programs, to support early-literacy development, and to im-prove the content knowledge and instructional strategies of early childhood teachers and directors. The preschool itself underwent an extensive self-study process recently which helped elevate its offerings by mentoring from early childhood professionals.

“Providing a nurturing, happy

environment where small children can grow and develop emotion-ally, cognitively, physically and spiritually is of utmost importance to us,” Canady added. “They are our future and we must work with their parents to provide them with the best foundation we can, so being recognized as a fi ve-star school shows families and the community our commitment to those high standards.” As the gateway to the Galinsky Acad-emy, the DuBow Preschool offers an excellent fi rst-school experi-ence. “Every one of our teachers and administrators is absolutely committed to providing an out-standing educational experience, for our children and our parents,” said Rabbi Jim Rogozen, Head of the Galinsky Academy. “The ‘fi ve-star’ designation is further proof that we are accomplishing our goals.”

The DuBow Preschool at the Jacksonville Jewish Center, is beginning its 74th year and has a rich history accompanied with an an outstanding reputation. “The DuBow Preschool plants the seeds of living a Jewish life through teaching and experienc-ing Jewish values,” explained Mauri Mizrahi, parent and former Education Chair for the Galinsky Academy. “The teachers instill positive growth and development and a high self-esteem in all of the students and it’s for these reasons we sent our three boys there.”

The Guiding Stars program emphasizes the importance of a school’s commitment to engage

parents in education and social opportunities. Helping families make connections with other families and providing a space to learn, socialize and grow together has always been an important part of DuBow Preschool’s mis-sion. At this stage of their lives, parents of young children are also considering questions of identity and connection for themselves and their children. Raising children in a community offers support, guidance, and helps build long-term relationships. This is why the DuBow Preschool strives to offer its crop of students the highest quality education as well as providing a place for the whole family to fi nd a community of support and celebration grounded in Jewish values. “Our family has had a connection to the preschool since 1975 when the Jacksonville Jewish Center moved to Mandarin and it’s because of that we would not consider sending our kids any-where else,” Mizrahi added.

Many parents begin their association with the school by attending one of the many popular ‘Mommy & Me’, style programs, by becoming active in the PTO or joining a parenting book club. To learn more about our school, call Shereen Canady at 904-268-4200 ext. 143. Prospective parents are also encouraged to look at the special teacher blogs on the Par-ent Portal located on our website (dubowpreschool.org), or even drop by one of our parent pro-grams.

BY SHEREEN CANADYDuBow Preschool

Staff from the DuBow preschool celebrates its Five Star rating from the Guiding Stars of Duval which rates schools on how well teachers, classrooms & their curriculum combine to get kids ready for kindergarten

Four Mommy & Me classes now off ered at the DuBow Preschool

Color Splash, is a hands-on and hands-in multi-sensory experience. Participants explore the world of colors using their fi ve senses in a fun and unique class unlike any other Mommy & Me class in the area. Color Splash is taught by Natalie Dayan, a certifi ed and licensed speech and language pathologist. Dayan in-corporates her knowledge and ex-perience of child development to facilitate increased language and socialization through structured play, songs, art activities, story time, and more. The fi rst session for fall begins Friday, Sept. 4. To fi nd out more or to register, email [email protected] or visit: www.facebook.com/colors-plashclass

DuBow Preschool is offering a new Stroller Workout class on Monday mornings for moms and babies. Kids stay in their strollers and get to watch mom (or dad) sweat and sing songs while they exercise to keep them giggling. This 45-minute class combines strength training and power walking. Instruction is led by Emily Carpenter who trained for her group fi tness certifi cation and taught stroller exercise classes for four years. Those who plan on attending, please bring a towel, water, and a resistance band. The cost of the class is just $5 and no RSVP is needed, so just show up and sweat with us, but try not to be late because once we take off we are tough to fi nd! View a complete schedule at facebook.

com/strollerworkout but please note that some Mondays will be swapped out during the Jewish holidays.

Did you know research shows us that music promotes bonding between parents and their babies? Studies also show that even at two months old infants can remem-ber brief melodies. It’s because of this that Family Music and Movement at DuBow Preschool is a perfect fi t for a fi rst class with your new baby. Class is taught by Emily Carpenter who holds her BFA in musical theatre from Penn State. The fi rst session of the fall slate begins Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. To fi nd out more or to register, email Carpenter at [email protected] or visit the class’ offi cial Facebook page at facebook.com/familymusicand-movement.

Shalom Baby Playgroup. This free playgroup is back and is offered twice a month. It is the cornerstone of DuBow Pre-school’s Parent & Me program as the preschool now offers four different classes Monday through Friday mornings for parents and their babies. Come play, chat, and meet other moms, while socializing your baby, but don’t forget everyone’s favorite part, the challah and juice! The fi rst playgroup gathering of the fall is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4. For more information or to be added to the Jewish Moms Playgroup private group on Facebook, send an e-mail [email protected].


The Bernard & Alice Selevan Religious School of the Jackson-ville Jewish Center kicked-off it’s 2015-16 learning slate with a special meet and greet on Sunday, Aug. 30. Parents and students had a chance to learn more about the school’s innovative initiatives, including the return of some very successful programs including, Judaism through the arts, the new family-wide Mitzvah project op-tions as well as the 24/7 Hebrew Online Learning Center and school Shabbat opportunities. An expanded Hebrew through prayer program now includes more class time as well as a variety of 21st century teaching methods blended

with the old school approach. There will also be additional professional staff in the class-room this coming year for more involved instruction.

Even though classes start Sunday, Sept. 13 and Wednesday, Sept. 16, there are still limited spots open and available. For your convenience, all of the religious school registration forms, calen-dars, costs, and other pertinent information are available on the Religious School webpage at http://www.basrs.org. There, parents can take a unique glimpse into the innovative and engaging programs available to students. For more information, please call Principal Lois Tompkins at 904 268-4200, ext. 146.

By Bernard & Alice Selevan Religious School

Family Music & Movement is just one of four innovative Mommy & Me classes now offered for parents and kids to enjoy at DuBow Preschool

A special summer helps transform learning at the DuBow PreschoolBY AMANDA WATSKYDuBow Preschool

Selevan Religious School ready for yet another year

My plan for this summer break was to start a family tradition of heading out on a yearly summer road trip. We ended up logging about 5,000 miles, and visited around 10 different science and children’s museums, all along the east coast. The trip was wonder-ful and provided us with such a special experience. Additionally, I was inspired by a creative col-lection of ways in which we can incorporate fun science activi-ties into our programming at the DuBow Preschool.

Our students are going to have an amazing year and I cannot wait to get started. Last year we introduced the walk-in butterfl y

garden, an outdoor music space and had our fi rst ever DuBow Preschool Farmer’s Market, where students sold the fruits (and vegetables!!) of their labor. These programs will be expanded as we will be introducing more life cycle programs and assist in more collaboration with local museums. We will also be doing some of the same activities that larger mu-seums are using to connect their youngest visitors with the world of science.

Also, this upcoming year our students are going to benefi t from two days of Discovery Studio pro-gramming. One day will be our typical science day with experi-ments and projects but a second day is going to be based on gardening, food science, and en-

vironmental sciences. Our studies will also be tied to Jewish themes and values. I am very excited to put together a program that integrates the values of our school and educates our students in a way that imparts a love of science and in turn the world to them.


Community NEWS

www.jewishjacksonville.orgw Jacksonville Jewish News • September 2015

JFNA TripContinued from p. 1

“We met people from France, Ukraine and Russia who left their families, their friends, their jobs and everything they have to start a new life because things are so bad in Europe right now,” the veteran Federation board member recalled of his emotional experience. “Th e atmosphere in Europe probably has not been this diffi cult for Jews since before World War II, and because of that JFNA is expecting 30,000 European Jews to move to Israel this year.”

Jacobs remembered one young man in particular during that visit named Th ibeau from France, whose grandparents were survivors of the Holocaust. While growing up he was put into Catholic school and did not overtly advertise the fact that he was Jewish, but because of his last name, the harassment and dis-crimination were so intolerable, he had to make a new start in the one place he knew he would be welcomed with open arms.

“What Federation does for these people in similar situations is provide them housing, job training, teach them Hebrew and

give them everything they need to start a new life in a brand new country,” he detailed of what he learned that day. “It was remark-able to me that these young people were doing this at the same time that Israel experienced war last summer and rockets were raining down on the country. Neverthe-less, they still felt Israel provided a much better life for them than where they were coming from.”

Other visits aft er the trip’s fi rst emotional one included a stop along an Israeli town bordering Gaza, where they talked to resi-dents about their experiences dur-ing the war last summer. Some-times what they had to go through physically, evacuating their homes and businesses, was much less damaging than the emotional toll it took on them and their families to do that.

“We went to a Kibbutz called Nir Oz that is so close to the bor-der that there is only a 15 second warning from the sirens to having to go into the shelters,” Jacobs said. “So we actually witnessed holes that rockets had put in walls and pieces of debris left over from the attacks.”

More unforgettable interac-tions with Israelis followed as they explained their struggles living amidst the confl ict coupled with resolve and determination.

“We also met with a solider at a memorial for fallen soldiers of other Gaza campaigns and he talked about what he went through during the war as his brother was also with him in Gaza at a separate command,” Jacobs remembered of his one-on-one discussion. “He told us that even if he found out his brother had been killed during one of the attacks, he was going to call home and tell his parents he had to stay and fi nish his mission because he was an integral part of the IDF and he could not leave his fellow soldiers behind.”

Jacobs, Margolies and others from the trip next went to the town of Be’er Sheva in the Negev Desert where they saw how the Federation’s support was helping educate Haredi or ultra orthodox youth in the region with science and math classes.

“Obviously it’s the hope that the Haredi children will be able to integrate more into society and earn a living in Israel,” Jacobs said.

Along with the Jewish youth, there were also Arab-Israeli girls who were being given the benefi t of academic instruction from the JFNA and its partners.

“Th ey were actually running a debate team for the girls who were debating other Jewish schools, so it’s the hope that these Arab-Israe-

li girls will develop much greater feelings toward Israel through these programs,” he explained. “All together these eff orts showed us tremendous hope for the future of Israel through education.”

Upon his return, the campaign chair had a chance to refl ect on only his second trip to Israel dur-ing his lifetime, but unlike his fi rst pilgrimage to the Land of Milk and Honey, this one proved to be less touristy and more of an in depth exploration of day-to-day life inside the Jewish state.

“We weren’t going to see a bunch of sights, take a few pic-tures and move on. Instead we gained a full understanding of the issues Israel is facing, the chal-lenges that they have over there and what Federation is doing to provide solutions,” he said. “From that standpoint, it was far more meaningful, extremely emotional and very moving for me to see all of the good that Federation is do-ing in Israel.”

But for Jacobs, the experi-ence was made even more special because the blueprints for the trip had a Jacksonville fl air to them.

“I took a lot of pride in the fact that this program was as the result of the original ideas of our Federation’s executive director here in Jacksonville,” he said. “I think all of the cities throughout

the country and across Canada were extremely appreciative that it happened, and impressed with what had been done to make it happen.”

Th e 2015 trip which Jacobs was a part of was in fact so success-ful that the workers mission will return for its third year in 2016.

“I enjoyed my time there so much this past July that I decided to take my wife Allison on the Federation and JCA’s joint trip to Israel in April,” he said with excitement.

Th e third annual workers mis-sion will take place July 18-24, 2016, while the fi rst-ever joint mission involving the Federation and the JCA is scheduled for April 10-18. For more information on the worker’s mission or to guaran-tee your spot on the joint Jackson-ville mission with a $500 deposit, call Federation executive director Alan Margolies at 904-448-5000, ext. 207 or e-mail him at [email protected].

River Garden Auxiliary to hold garage sale Nov. 8By River Garden Auxiliary

The River Garden Auxiliary is holding a Garage Sale, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8 from 12-3 p.m. at the Hebrew Home. People in the community are encouraged to go through their closets, drawers, garages and other places around the house to fi nd items to contrib-ute to the event because as the old adage goes, what is one person’s junk is another one’s treasure. There is a special need for vases from fl ower arrangements, so

those with collections of them, such as fl orists or people with just one or two are asked to kindly donate. In addition to vases, books are also another popular item for these types of events. It is impor-tant to note that both adult cloth-ing and shoes will not be accepted but purses and other accessories that are in good condition will be. For more information, please call Evelyn Peck at 904-268-0597 or Sandy Selwitz 904-371-2429. River Garden residents benefi t directly from this fundraiser.

In 2013, Facebook COO Sher-yl Sandberg published ‘LEAN IN: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead’, based on her top ranking 2010 Ted Talk. The reception of her talk and book led Sandberg to create LeanIn.org, to challenge women to pursue their dreams by providing inspiration and support through small peer groups called LEAN IN Circles. Motivated by the idea of helping women learn and grow, the J Institute became the fi rst Jewish community center in the U.S. to initiate LEAN IN Circles, providing women the opportunity to learn, share and connect at the JCA. Now, after two successful years, the J Institute LEAN IN programming is expanding to create additional opportunities for participation.

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m., the JCA begins the new LEAN IN 2.0 with ‘Be True to You’, the fi rst of two thought-provoking learning sessions. In the weeks following, women will also have the opportunity to join a local LEAN IN Circle, led by an exceptional facilitator, who will guide participants through a discussion of the learning session topic in a warm environment for sharing and connecting. This pro-gram is open to the entire commu-nity. Reservations for the Sept. 30 session are required by Sept. 24. The fee for this program is $8 and $5 for JCA members. Details on the second session, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 16, will be avail-able in the fall. To learn more or to reserve your seat, visit jcajax.org/leanin or contact Dorri Kraus at 904-730-2100 ext. 239.

JCA helping to empower women with LEAN IN 2.0

By Jewish Community Alliance

Kaplan & Pomertantz named delegates to upcoming national Hadassah conference

Long time Jacksonville Hadassah members Aviva Ka-plan and Lin Pomerantz were recent delegates to Hadassah’s National Business Meeting in Philadelphia, where El-len Hershkin was elected the organization’s 26th National President. Hershkin, who will succeed Marcie Natan on Jan. 1, after an unprecedented four

and a half years in that same post, is currently coordinator of the Programming, Advo-cacy, Zionism and Education (PRAZE) Division. She joined Hadassah in 1973, and has held numerous leadership positions throughout the 42 years since then, including vice president, secretary, chair of membership outreach, coordinator of Young Judaea, all on the national level. Regional installation ceremo-nies will offi cially take place in December when Pomerantz

will be installed as region organization VP and Kaplan will assume presidential duties for the Jacksonville Hadas-sah. “All Jacksonville Hadas-sah members are invited to attend this celebratory event,” Lin explained. “The Region will even charter a van for us if we get enough women to go”. Tampa will be site of this year’s Florida Central Region and All-Chapter Installation, as festivities are set to take place, Dec. 12-13.

BY HELEN HILLJacksonville Hadassah


community news

Jacksonville women partake in trip tabbed ‘Birthright for Moms’


This past July, 13 mothers from Jacksonville teamed up with 400 Jewish women from across North America to make a trek to the homeland affectionately called ‘birthright for moms’. The eight day trip, organized by the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP), is as an opportunity for Jewish mothers to connect with each other and their spiritual selves, while deepening their understanding of the pivotal role Judaism plays in family life.

“The original Birthright pro-gram has taken 500,000 young people to Israel, so when JWRP founder Lori Palatnik and other leaders thought about what they could do to engage more people in Israel and the Jewish world, they decided to replicate the Birthright concept,” explained trip partici-pant and Jewish Federation board member Andrea Mail. “When you take a young person to Israel, you transform a life but when you take a mother to Israel, you transform an entire family.”

The trip is geared for women with school-aged children because upon their return, the mothers can share with their kids along with the rest of their families the valu-able lessons they learned while overseas. “It’s a challenge for mothers with children at home to leave their families,” Mail, who has three teenage daughters said. “Yet, when they make the com-mitment to spend time in Israel focusing on their own spiritual growth, amazing things happen.”

To date, 6,500 Jewish mothers from a total of 19 countries have embarked on this transforma-tional journey and JWRP partners with local organizations such as

Jacksonville’s Etz Chaim Syna-gogue. Impressively, the Israeli government has recently decided to become a partner, matching funds dollar-for-dollar to double the number of mothers traveling to the homeland.

“As the participants have spent millions of dollars shopping in Israel, the government decided the program is a major investment in the Israeli economy,” Mail jokingly commented. All jokes aside, the trip takes participants to emotionally stirring and histori-cal sites such as the Western Wall and Mail even made a stop in the Federation’s partnership city of Hadera.

Even though the ladies made be shedding tears and spending shekels during their time abroad, the investment that Israel is mak-ing in the many Jewish mothers in the U.S. and across the world is indeed priceless.

“Each mother’s experience impacts not only her family, but also her community.” Mail ex-plained. “You don’t travel on your own, but rather you apply and are accepted as a participant in a local group.” The mother of three fi rst became involved with the or-ganization a few years ago when Henny Fisch, JWRP Jacksonville city leader asked her to attend an informative session.

“I initially was hesitant as I had lived in Israel for three years and had been blessed to visit numerous times,” she explained. “But I was so impressed with Henny, Lori Palatnik and the JWRP movement, I decided to get involved and have been on the trip for the past three years as a counselor or madricha.” The trip is focused on developing one’s Jewish soul and as Palatnik says to the participants, what better

place to do it than Israel? “She told us that every year

we get a physical, so why don’t we also get a spiritual?”, Mail remembered of the trip orga-nizer’s words. “This program is truly a ‘spiritual’, or what I refer to as a spa for the soul.” Another analogy that Palatnik gave was describing how a cactus in Jack-sonville would grow only a few inches during the year, but when its placed in Arizona, it’s natural habitat, it will shoot up eight feet. “The same goes for everyone on this trip,” the Israeli veteran eloquently explained. “When we put our Jewish souls in Israel, they blossom to unimaginable heights.”

Mail’s commitment to JWRP has taken an even more serious turn as she recently joined the JWRP international board. “This is a natural partnership with being involved in our local federation board. I’m learning terrifi c ideas from other communities which will enable me to be more effec-tive in Jacksonville,” she ex-plained. “My passion is outreach to those who are unaffi liated, in-termarried or for whatever reason feel on the periphery of Jewish life. I love bringing Jewish people of every background together as we have much more in common than what divides us.”

Those interested in seeking their own spiritual journey with other Jewish moms across the continent can get more informa-tion, by logging onto jwrp.org or by contacting Henny Fisch at hen-nyfi [email protected] and 904-262-3565. Though the accommoda-tions in Israel are complimentary, trip participants are responsible for fi nancing their fl ights to and from the Holy Land.

Jewish Historical Society to celebrate anniversary at the Fountain of Youth

The St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society will mark the 450th anniversary of the arrival of the descendants of Crypto-Jews to territories later to become the United States. This celebra-tion will take place Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 11 a.m. at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park (11 Magnolia Ave, St. Augus-tine). The program is open to the public and will include a tour of relevant excavations of the oldest successful European settlement in the United States led by St. Augustine Archaeological As-

sociation Board Member, Carl Lindenfeld. Advance reserva-tions must be made by writing a check for $12 per person, payable to the St. Augustine Jewish His-torical Society with the notation ‘Fountain of Youth’ in the memo line. Please send all payments to Carl Lindenfeld SAJHS Trea-surer, 912 Ridgewood Lane, St. Augustine, Fla. 32086. Checks must be received by the end of business, Tuesday, Sept. 1. A de-tailed discussion over lunch will follow the tour and participants are welcome to bring their own food, however soft drinks will be provided. For more information call 804-914-4460.

BY MERRILL SHAPIROJewish Historical Society

Highlights of the ‘Birthright for Mom’s’ trip included stops which were a treat for the taste buds (left) at a local falafel shop as well as those which touched the soul (right) at the iconic Western Wall in Jerusalem

The group of mothers from Jacksonville pose together at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv upon arrival

Museum programs link Holocaust history to today’s current issues

Remembering for the Future presents BANNED: A communi-ty conversation about censorship and free speech that links Ho-locaust history to contemporary issues. The Nazi regime’s book burnings and art censorship dur-ing the Holocaust have become iconic symbols of the loss of free speech and free expression. BANNED examines censorship today: local efforts to restrict ac-cess to art and literature; removal of books from library and class-room shelves; and recent attacks on free speech around the world.

BANNED programs will take place across the First Coast. Upcoming events include:

• Express Yourself! Celebrate the freedom to read, literacy and free expression at BANNED’s launch event in Jacksonville’s Hemming Park. Enjoy live performances, hands-on art activities, a book giveaway, early literacy testing, and a banned book character costume contest. Record your stories and opinions about free speech and censorship. Discuss First Amendment rights with journalists and experts. The celebration will take place from 12 - 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27.

• Nazi Art Censorship Lecture. Cummer Executive Director Hope McMath and Chief Curator Holly Keris present “Banned: The Nazi Degenerate Art Exhibi-tion and Censorship,” an in-depth look at censorship of artistic expression during the Nazi regime and beyond. The free lectures take place at 4:00 p.m.

and 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 29, at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. For further informa-tion or to make your required reservations, please call 904-899-6038 or register online at www.cummermuseum.org.

• National Book Award-win-ning author Jacqueline Woodson speaks about fi nding her voice through writing, censorship and her personal memoir, “Brown Girl Dreaming,” at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 4 at the Main Li-brary. A book signing follows the free presentation.

• A community commemora-tion of the Holocaust’s Kristall-nacht, Night of Broken Glass, takes place at 6 p.m, Monday, Nov. 9 at The Temple, Congrega-tion Ahavath Chesed.

Many more programs will take place at public libraries and on college campuses throughout Duval and St. Johns counties. Want to know more? Please con-nect with us online at Facebook/bannedjax or www.bannedjax.org for details. Contact Leslie Kirkwood at 904-742-2327 or [email protected] regarding volunteer and sponsor-ship opportunities.

By The Cummer Museum

Grow your businessIf you want to reach a demographic with a higher than average household income and education, the Jewish News is your

connection. To advertise, contact: Barbara Nykerk at (904) 923-3205 [email protected] or Eta Perras at

(904) 629-0466 and [email protected]


JEWISH NEWS



federation news

w

Partner Spotlight: American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee

When fi ghting broke out in Donetsk between the government and separatist forces last year, Raisa Libenson believed she could stay with her family in their house by the airport. It wasn’t until her apartment sustained a direct hit from a mortar shell, tearing through the walls and furniture, and rendering the 78-year-old temporarily deaf, that she realized she had to leave.

“Shell fragments were all over my bed,” she recalled with terror. “Th ere was smoke in the apart-ment. I rushed into the room and it felt like something hot fl ew over me. I froze with fear. I could not realize how I would survive.”

Since then Libenson and her husband of 56 years have been staying in Pavlograd, a city a few dozen miles from the frontline. Th ey are among more than 2,700 Jews who have left their homes in the eastern part of the coun-try and receive help from JDC through its Hesed social welfare center network. Of the Ukrainian Jews who left the east, more than 2,000 have relocated within the

country, living in places like Kiev, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk and Odessa. Th ere, they rely heavily on the help of the local Jewish communities and JDC.

Th ese internally displaced persons (IDPs) include Roman Dubovskoy and his family, who relocated from Lugansk to Za-porozhye when violence erupted in their hometown last August. Now, all eight of them (Dubovs-koy and his wife, their four children, and his wife’s parents) live together under the same roof. Roman, who is a psychologist, had to come out of retirement to provide for his extended family. Luckily, he found employment at the local JCC where he treats fel-low displaced Jews from the east.

JDC helps Ukrainian Jews like the Dubovskoys and Liben-sons pay the rent and provides them with clothes, footwear, and a monthly stipend for food, medicine, and other essentials. During the winter months, IDPs are sent items like blankets, socks, and pajamas to help cope with the cold. Libenson said she was deeply grateful for the meat, cheese, sour cream, and oil JDC gives her through the Hesed.

“Maybe, it is not for long, but it’s like a breathing period for us,” she said. “We would not survive during these eight months in Donetsk without Hesed.”

Hardship has driven the number of recipients of aid ever higher around the country. In all, JDC has registered 2,700 new clients. Many are young families or elderly people. Yet despite it all, Ukrainian Jews celebrated Pass-over last month with events held in Donetsk, Lugansk, Mariupol and many more locations. Some 8,000 people attended celebra-tions at 32 JDC-run Hesed centers throughout the country. To keep up-to-date on JDC’s response to the crisis in Ukraine, visit jdc.org/UkraineCrisis.

Th e JDC is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, impacting millions of lives in more than 70 countries today. JDC leverages a century’s experience confronting poverty and crisis around the world to: Save the World’s Poorest Jews, Revitalize Jewish Life, Empower Israel’s Future, Develop Tomor-row’s Jewish Leaders and Rescue Victims of Global Emergencies.

Whenever and wherever there

are Jews in need, JDC is there, providing urgent care. Famine, World Wars, Communist repres-sion, political strife, genocide—Jewish communities around the world have confronted the unthinkable over the last century.

Today, Jews worldwide share a unique opportunity to reconnect to their cultural heritage and fi nd unprecedented strength as part of a global Jewish people. Today’s Israel is a dynamic, diverse nation of 7.6 million people. Over 70 nationalities are represented it its vibrant population, and two out of every three Israelis are newcom-ers, or the children or grand-children of immigrants. From the historical centers of Jewish tradition in Northern Africa to the nascent wellsprings of Jewish renaissance in Europe and the former Soviet Union, Jewish com-munities around the globe need promising young leaders to grow into the vibrant cultural hubs of tomorrow.

JDC leverages nearly a cen-tury’s experience helping Jewish communities worldwide con-fronted by the most diffi cult chal-lenges—disaster, extreme poverty, political instability, genocide—to

create innovative programs that benefi t some of the world’s needi-est populations. Seed money from JDC leverages funds from the U.S. government, foreign governments, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), founda-tions, and individual donors.

By the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee

Caring for displaced Jews amidst the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine

Jacksonville Jewish News goes social with QR codes

The Jewish Federation of Jacksonville as well as Jackson-ville Jewish News has become a bit more social over the last few months as it pertains to social media. That’s because the Federation has launched both new Instagram and YouTube accounts to compliment its content on Facebook and Twit-ter. The same Twitter handle now applies for Instagram (@jaxjewish) and the Federa-tion’s offi cial You Tube channel (JaxJewishTV) is now welcom-ing subscribers as it begins to populate its account with videos of recent events and interviews throughout the Jacksonville Jewish community.

Another unique component that JJN readers may see pop-ping up in their paper more often than not is a tiny black and white pixilated box known as a QR code. With a simple QR code reader app, people can

scan the code and be directed to any webpage online. Usually the code will bring readers to videos, extended photo galler-ies or special audio interviews which cannot be housed in print form. Other times the QR code will be used as a vehicle for those who want to read the en-tire newspaper online via issuu.com. This particular one can always be found in the bottom right hand corner of each issue.

By Jacksonville Jewish News

Scan QR code to watch special video update on the crisis

in Ukraine on

Jacksonville Jewish News • September 2015 Like us on Facebook: JaxJewish Follow us on Twitter & Instagram: @jaxjewish


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FEDERATION NEWS


Jacksonville teen explores Israel this summer with Federation’s help

This past July, I walked into an unfamiliar house, knowing that it would be my home for the next two weeks. I didn’t know what to expect but I defi nitely would have not expected how quickly I became comfortable with the house and the family who I was staying with. My host parents, Nir and Revital, treated me like another daughter; making sure I had all of my needs met and that of course meant I was never hun-gry! My host, Hadar, became like a sister to me as I met all her friends, talking and laugh-ing late into the night.

Living with an Israeli family was not as different as I thought it would be. Sure, the older brother, Alon, was in the army and would come home every weekend in his uniform, and yes, they didn’t drive or work on Shabbat, but similar to here, the parents worked during the week, while the kids were in camp. Despite everyone’s busy schedules we had dinner as a family almost every single night.

Our teen group, which consisted of fi ve Americans and seven Israelis, traveled around the country every day. Most of our trips took place during the day but we did have a few overnights to Jerusalem,

Masada, Tiberius and the Golan Heights. It truly was amazing how much we managed to pack into each and every day! Our activities ranged from hiking Mount Carmel, to riding camels in a Bedouin camp, to going to the holy Western Wall. We did everything from spiritual ac-tivities to historical sites along adventurous excursions, (which in Israel, is basically the same thing.)

Many things surprised me about our homeland, such as the numerous amounts of female and male IDF soldiers just going about daily life in their uniforms. At one point, we even saw an off-duty female soldier walking down the street in uni-form, while carrying a Coach purse, which is most defi nitely not something you see every day in America! Something else that surprised me about Israel was how just driving on the highway could be so beauti-ful. On both sides of the road you see tiny villages dotting the hillside and there were way more trees than expected. I was also impressed by how techno-logically advanced Israel is as a country. Almost every store and restaurant has free wifi , which defi nitely came in handy for the Americans in our group.

This experience has made me feel so much more con-nected to Israel and Judaism. Just knowing that you are

surrounded by Jewish people at all times is an amazing feeling. This particular trip made Israel seem like more of a second home, because I was able to experience the non-touristy part of the country. It’s incredible to see how much Judaism is incorporated into normal life. For example, on Shabbat and holidays, there is no public transportation and most res-taurants and stores are closed. I would defi nitely recommend this trip to teenagers around the age of 15, because you get to meet the most terrifi c people (both Americans and Israelis), make wonderful memories in the process, and experience all aspects of Israel.

I’m extremely grateful to the Jewish Federation of Jackson-ville and its Israel Partnership program for providing me with this life-changing opportunity. Thank you also to Mrs. Joan Levin and her family for the Gift of Israel scholarship!

BY SABRINA MAILIsrael Partnership Participant

Mail’s experiences in Israel included some favorites like camel riding and fl oating in the Dead Sea

rGEN set to Break (the) Fast again this new year

BY JEANINE HOFFrGEN Division Director

Save the date for the annual rGEN Break (the) Fast as on Wednesday evening Sept. 23, rGEN will host its festive pot luck. The event is open to all Young Professionals, newcom-ers, couples, those looking to meet new people or simply have

a fun meal. This tradition has been one of rGEN’s most popular and well-attended events and further details will be coming soon via email and social media. Those who haven’t been getting e-mails from rGEN can contact division director Jeanine Hoff at [email protected].


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VISIT JCAJAX.ORG FOR MORE DETAILSabout this and other JCA Mini Cultural Arts Festival and 19th Annual Jewish Book Festival events. Watch for the festival brochure coming soon with the full schedule of books, music, theatre and film!

federation news

Catskills documentary helps bring together the deep ties that bind

Jewish people love to connect. We love to play Jewish geogra-phy when we meet someone new because it’s our way of identifying with people, places and maybe relatives we even have in com-mon. Th e two screenings of the documentary, ‘Welcome to Kutsher’s’ have been so successful because they have done just this by bringing people together who not only shared common Catskills experience, but are profoundly bound by a common heritage.

Kutsher’s was a typical Catskills hotels which served kosher food and where most of the waiters spoke Yiddish (even though some

weren’t even Jewish). Th at came in handy because 99 percent of the guests who patronized these types of resorts and hotels were in fact Jewish. Th e Catskills, also known as the Borscht Belt was made up of comfortable and aff ordable resorts where you could vacation and not fear anti-Semitism. Th ese memorable places are long gone now but the experiences remain indelibly etched in the hearts and minds of the people who stayed there.

Th ose who missed the fi rst two showings will have yet another opportunity as there will be two more scheduled in the area. Th e Federation’s Shalom Jacksonville division and one of its partners River Garden Senior Services will

once again sponsor two more screenings at no charge. ‘Welcome to Kutsher’s’ will be shown at Beth-El at the Beaches on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. and then at Temple Bet Yam in St. Augustine on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. More information on the fi lm and the screenings can be found in this issue and everyone in the commu-nity is invited to attend.

Shalom Jacksonville is the offi cial Jewish welcome wagon of Northeast Florida. If you are new to our area or are newly interested in the Jewish community, please contact me (Isabel Balotin) at 904-448-5000 ext. 206 or email me at [email protected].


Gail and Jeff Rudolph display publications from the Concord Hotel which feature famous performers

John and Jill Mc Elligott along with Susan and Martin Goetz share their common Catskills connections.

The Federation’s fi nal 2015 campaign report

By Jewish Federation of Jacksonville

The Jewish Federation of Jacksonville reported to the JJN that in early August the 2015 annual campaign reached the targeted goal of $2,566,000. This was the fi gure used in the spring for the Federation’s allocations process. The fi nal amount repre-sents an increase of $94,000 from a year ago and all major local and overseas recipient organi-zations received an increase com-pared the 2014 numbers.

“I especially want to acknowl-edge our chair, Sandy Zimmer-man as well as women’s chair, Jen Plotkin, in addition to the entire rGEN team who chaired one of most successful Super Sundays in many years,” said Federation executive director, Alan Margolies. “I also want to express my appreciation to all of the volunteers who worked on the campaign, as well as Lion chair, Allison Jacobs and major gifts chair, Ken Jacobs,” he added.

2015 camp

A holiday invitation for Jewish newcomers to Jax


Trivia is back and this time we will test your knowledge of the Jewish High Holy Days: Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Shemini Atzeret, plus we’ll even sprinkle some pop culture questions into the mix. Join newcomers and friends for Jewish Java on Wednesday, Sept. 2, from 9-10:30 a.m. at Village Bread Café (11110 San Jose Blvd.). This coffee and schmooz-ing program is the perfect place to meet friends (and maybe even a relative) to fi nd out the latest happenings in the community. Free coffee and tea will be given with each purchase of a food item, so be sure and reserve the

fi rst Wednesday of every month for Shalom Jacksonville’s Jew-ish Java. For more information, please contact, Isabel Balotin at 904-448-5000, ext. 206 and [email protected]. Shalom Jacksonville is the offi cial Jewish welcome wagon of Northeast Florida is an offi cial program of the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville.

We understand that holidays can often be a lonely time when you are away from family and close friends. Our very generous and welcoming Jacksonville Jew-ish community extends to you an invitation to share in its holiday meals and celebrations at various homes. Please let me know if you are seeking holiday hospital-ity and we will easily arrange a match. Those who are new and interested in attending services

for the High Holidays can call the synagogue of your choosing to check their ticket policies. In most cases, newcomers are given complimentary entry but detailed synagogue information can be found is this issue as well as by logging onto www.jewishjack-sonville.org/about-us/local-syn-agogues. For more information, please contact Isabel Balotin, Shalom Jacksonville director at 904-448-5000, ext. 206 or at [email protected].


September Jewish Java to host holiday trivia



EDUCATION

Another successful summer camp season in the books at the JCABy Jewish Community Alliance - After a memorable summer of fun at JCA Summer Camp, here are some of our favorite moments in photograph form

Lots of High Holy Days programs available for kids at DuBow Preschool


The Jacksonville Jewish Center offers meaningful High Holy Days services and program-ming for all ages. Specifi cally, the DuBow Preschool offers creative, holiday programming for children ages one through pre-kindergarten taught by our loving and talented preschool teachers. On the fi rst morning of Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 14) and Yom Kippur (Sept. 23), families will participate in an interactive and fun preschool service led by Center clergy and professionals. Then, families may check their little ones into the preschool for a morning of holiday fun, while parents attend services. During that time, the children will be singing and dancing to favorite holiday tunes, playing games such as ‘Apple Toss’, ‘Bumblebee Boogey’ and ‘Rosh Hashanah Symbols Hunt’. They will also be able to indulge in de-licious apples and honey for the

traditional New Year snack. Our specialized preschool service and programming is open to members and non-members.

In addition to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Sukkot is com-ing and we have several fun and engaging programs planned for our little ones and their families. The community is invited to join us for our Jacksonville Jewish Center Sukkot dinner on Sunday, Sept. 27. On Sept. 28, families with young children will enjoy an interactive, fun service in the Goldman Sukkah, so come shake your lulav and etrog with us! Preschoolers are invited to attend Sukkot babysitting and enjoy more holiday themed activities. Visit our website dubowpre-school.org for more information or ‘like’ us on Facebook to get updates on this program and many others. For more details or to register your child for either event, please contact the DuBow Preschool offi ce at 904-268-4200 ext. 143.



JEWISH COMMUNITY ALLIANCE 2015 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $208,000

jca happenings

JEWISH COMMUNITY ALLIANCE

For more information or to reg-ister for programs at the JCA, call 904-730-2100 or visit our offi cial website at www.jcajax.org.

Vandroff Art Gallery Paintings of the First Coast Pastel Society will be featured from Sep-tember 4-30. Th e FCPS’s mission promotes the use of soft pastels as an important and evolving fi ne art medium. Meet FCPS members at a reception on Sunday, Sept. 13, 1-3 p.m.

JCA Film SeriesTh e fi lm ‘Daniel’ will be shown Sunday, Sept. 6, at 2 p.m. Th is searing portrait of a young man’s quest for the truth about his past stars Timothy Hutton as Dan-iel, the fi ctionalized son of the Rosenberg’s, executed in 1953. Th is event is free and open to the community.

Community Wide ShabbatBeginning Sept. 4, join the JCA every Friday at 11:30 a.m. for a weekly community Shabbat cel-ebration with traditional blessings, grape juice and challah. Everyone is invited to attend and partici-pate.

Family Night with the Jacksonville ArmadaOn Saturday, Oct. 17, at 6:30 p.m., enjoy an evening game at the Jacksonville Armada for JCA families. Transportation to and from the JCA is included for fi rst two dozen to register and dinner is Dutch treat. Contact Dave at 904-730-2100 ext. 271 for pricing and information.

After School Dinner and Open HouseStart the New Year on a sweet note with an evening of food and fun on Th ursday, Sept. 10, from 6-7:30 p.m. Meet counselors and learn what the JCA can off er you and your elementary aged children. Reservations are requested by Sept. 8 by calling 904-730-2100 ext. 245.

Spirituality: What does it mean to you?On Wednesday, Sept. 9, from 7-8:30 p.m., local rabbis will dis-cuss the role spirituality plays in each of the three major denomi-nations of Judaism. Th is program is $5; JCA valued members are free. Advance registration is ap-preciated.

Great EscapeSept. 4 is the deadline to reg-ister for the JCA’s fi ve nights at sea aboard Carnival Fascination with stops in the Bahamas. For complete details, contact Sandy at 904-730-2100 ext. 322; single and triple rates are available upon request.

JAway Eco DayOn Sunday, Sept. 20, at 10 a.m., meet us at Jacksonville Beach to learn about sea turtle conservation and nesting sites. Reservations are requested by Sept. 16. Contact Rochelle at 904-730-2100 ext. 259 for more information.

Traditions CartTh is fall, visit the monthly exhibits of our Traditions Cart located in the JCA Lobby. Th e cart will have information about upcoming Jewish holidays and educational content.

Celebrating Sukkot with Pizza in the HutCelebrate Sukkot on Th ursday, Oct. 1, from 6-7:30 p.m., as we carry on the tradition of shaking the lulav and holding the etrog, while a festive family meal will be served. Th is program is off ered to valued members at no cost. Regis-tration required by Sept. 25.

A Sweet Topic with Rabbi FischOn Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 12 p.m., enjoy apples and honey and learn the meaning behind this Rosh Hashanah tradition. Th is program is free to the entire community, however reservations are required.

Noshing on Breakfast in the SukkahJoin us in the Sukkah on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 10:30 a.m., for good food and great conversation. Bring friends and family as reservations are required by Sept. 21. Th e fee is $7 and just $4 for JCA valued members.

Sit and Get Fit LunchOn Wednesday, Sept.9, at 12 p.m., Sharon Gladden, RN, will provide you with meaningful questions for your doctors to help better pre-pare you for your next offi ce visit. Th e fee is $7; JCA valued mem-bers are free, however reservations are requested.

LEAN IN 2.0Th e next generation of women’s inspirational programming begins on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 7-8:30 p.m. New participants are welcome and the fee is $8 and just $5 for JCA valued members. Reg-istration required by Sept. 24.

JCA cultural arts festival to include 19th annual Jewish book festival

8505 San Jose Blvd.Jacksonville, FL 32217jcajax.org904-730-2100

Friday, Sept. 11 - Everything Apples Special holiday class for children ages 3-6 from 1:30 - 2:15 p.m.(RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 1)

Friday, Oct. 2 - Sensational Sensory SukkotSpecial holiday class for children ages 3-6 from 1:30 - 2:15 p.m.(RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 1)

* Fee for above classes is $15 and $10 for valued members

High Holiday Schedule

Breast cancer awareness month in Sept. at the JCA


Last fall the Jewish Communi-ty Alliance featured several amaz-ing cultural arts programs for the entire Jacksonville community and this year is sure to bring more compelling, interactive events with the JCA Mini Cultural Arts Festival beginning in November. A highlight of the festival will be the inclusion of the 19th Annual Jewish Book Festival.

This year’s book festival will feature several renowned authors presenting literary works from various genres. On Thursday, Oct. 29, the festival will open with a special presentation by U.S.

Ambassador Dennis Ross, who will discuss his book ‘Doomed to Succeed: The U.S.-Israel Rela-tionship from Truman to Obama’, followed by New York Times bestselling author of ‘The Art Forger’, Barbara Shapiro, who

will be discussing her new novel ‘The Muralist’. Other featured presenters include Dan Ephron, Steve Katz, Lee Mandel, David Alan Bernstein and a special fam-ily event featuring Denise Trager and Mary Ellen Panaccione, authors of ‘Picked on Poindexter’. The JCA theatre department will also present a dramatization of this children’s book. For more information on the book festival and cultural arts festival events, contact the JCA registrar at 904-720-3100 ext. 228 or visit jcajax.org. A book festival brochure with a full schedule of events is also available for those wishing to view it.


An estimated 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. during 2015. While these numbers seem stag-gering, recent decades have seen a decrease in breast cancer incident rates and fatalities, particularly in women 50 years of age and younger. As with most cancers, early detection is essential to developing an effective treatment plan, and more women and men are educating themselves about actions they can take to lower their risk of developing cancer. In honor of Breast Cancer Aware-ness month, the JCA Baptist Health Wellness Connexion is offering an important lineup of breast cancer awareness and pre-vention workshops and lectures.

On Sunday, Oct. 25, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., the JCA will offer breast cancer self-exam work-shops throughout the day. There will also be several lectures, including ‘The BRCA Genes and Genetic Propensity’ at 11:30 a.m., as well as ‘Nutrition: Eating to Support Breast Health’ at 1 p.m., followed by ‘Breast Cancer

beyond the Physical: Implications for the Entire Family’ at 2:30 p.m. Additionally, the JCA Cultural Arts department will present a special art exhibit by artist Nadine Terk, who three years ago painted the portrait of a woman recover-ing from a mastectomy and went on to paint a series of portraits of breast cancer survivors. This exhibit honors the one in eight women who will inevitably face this disease. All programs for Breast Cancer Awareness at the J are free and open to the entire community but advance regis-tration is appreciated. For more information, visit jcajax.org or contact the JCA registrar at 904-730-2100 ext. 228.

Learn how to swim at the JCA

BY IMAN BYFIELDJewish Community Alliance BY IMAN BYFIELD

Jewish Community Alliance

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m., the JCA Baptist Health Wellness Connexion will hold a physician chat to discuss grief and other life transitions. Whether from the loss of a loved one, pet, possession or simply way of life, grief is a natural process with symptoms that vary from person to person. Regardless of the cause of one’s grief, support and services are available to those who need it. Board certifi ed psychiatrist Dr. Michael Solloway and licensed

psychologist Dr. Melissa Roffman of the Baptist Health Agewell Center for Senior Health will join the JCA to discuss a range of top-ics, including the grief process, how depression differs from grief, how to cope with losing a spouse and how to know if you are depressed, in addition to types of support and treatment options available to those who are griev-ing. This program is free to the entire community but advanced registration is required. For more information, visit jcajax.org or contact the JCA registrar at 904-730-2100 ext. 228.

JCA physician chat to address subject of grief

Swim instruction and water safety is a core part of youth programming at the Jewish Com-munity Alliance. For children as young as six months, the JCA has American Red Cross certifi ed Learn-to-Swim programs, assur-ing program quality by maintain-ing small class sizes, monitoring instruction and adhering to Red Cross standards. Additionally, all instructors are certifi ed as Water Safety Instructors.

“Swimming is a life skill and the most important aspect of swimming education is to keep

children in the water,” said Jessica Novotny, JCA aquatics manager. The JCA has several programs to help young swimmers learn water safety skills. Parent and Me classes, designed for parents and their children (six months to three years old) emphasizes fun, water adjustment and preparatory activi-ties for future swimming. JCA Mini Makos (two to three years old) teaches the foundation for water adjustment, fl oating, breath control, kicking, arm movement and safe entry and exit out of the pool. In Little Makos (three and half to fi ve years old), children participate without a parent in the water and are introduced to

breathing control, arm coordina-tion, kicking and the development of basic strokes. Junior Makos (six to 12 years old) teaches water skills, fundamentals aquatic skills, stroke development, stroke im-provement, stroke refi nement and personal water safety.

All Learn-to-Swim programs are offered one or two days a week in the JCA’s heated in-door pool. Additionally, private swim instruction is available to those who would like it for their children. For more information, visit jcajax.org or contact the registrar’s offi ce at 904-730-2100 ext. 228.


www.jewishjacksonville.orgwpage 21

JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES 2015 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $294,500

JEWISH FAMILY and COMMUNITY SERVICES

PJ LibraryPJ Library, the award winning free program for books and music, is open to all families with Jewish children in Jacksonville. Children between the ages of six months and eight years are eligible. Please sign up now by going to www.pjlibrary.org/com-munities/jacksonville, or call Ilene at 904-394-5724.Meals4YouJFCS in partnership with River Garden is pleased to bring you our meal pro-gram, Meals4You, From our kitchen to yours. Meals are delicious, nutritious convenient and delivered right to your door. Jewish dietary laws are observed, so for more information, please call Ilene at 904-224-6287.Call2Go Call2Go is the transporta-tion program at JFCS that works with Checker Cab. We are happy to schedule rides for Shabbat and Hol-idays at no charge. We also provide rides for medical appointments and quality of life events. Please call Ilene for more information at 904-224-6287.

Jewish Healing NetworkBecome a Jewish Heal-ing Network volunteer at JFCS and help us fulfi ll the Mitzvah of Bikkur Cho-lim. If you are interested in volunteering, you can make a weekly visit and or phone call to a senior or even help us deliver food to those who cannot get out. For more information, please call Gail at 904-394-5723.Homecare ServicesHolocaust Homecare Services are available to residents of the Jackson-ville Jewish community. A partnership between JFCS and Alpert Jewish Services in West Palm Beach enables JFCS to off er up to 25 hours per week of homecare services to Holocaust Survivors, paid through funds of the Claims Conference. Services include light housekeeping, medication management, assistance with bathing, meal prepa-ration and errands. Please call Naomi Mirensky at 904-394-5777 for more information.

Free Rides for High Holiday ServicesJFCS provides High Holi-day transportation at no charge. Please plan ahead and remember you must call at least 48 hours in advance of your requested ride. Our phone number is 904-224-6287 and we wish you a Happy, healthy and sweet New Year.

Briefs


JELF awards more than $35,000 in interest free loans to Jax students

In partnership with Jackson-ville Jewish Family & Com-munity Services, The Jewish Educational Loan Fund (JELF) has loaned $37,616 to students in the Jacksonville area for the 2015-16 school year. At the 2015 loan review sessions in Atlanta and Miami this past July, JELF Board members and volunteers came together to give fi nal consideration to the spring loan applicants. During these sessions the organization awarded a lump sum of $753,480 to a total of 199 Jewish students throughout the southeast, including Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. $294,272 or nearly 40-percent of those monies will go toward assisting students in the Sunshine State. Additional funds will be awarded after the fall application period, enabling even more students to fi ll the gap between the resources they assembled through grants, loans and scholarships and the real cost of their education.

While JELF currently admin-isters more than $4.2 million in outstanding loans, it has main-tained its impressive 98-per-

cent repayment rate. As students repay their loans, JELF uses that money to make new loans, creat-ing a circle of tzedakah. JELF loans are need-based and can be used for full-time undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as vocational programs. For addi-tional information, email [email protected], call 770-396-3080, or visit www.jelf.org. Applications for a JELF interest-free loan for the spring and or summer 2016 semesters will be available on the JELF website from Sept. 1 – 30, 2015. Applications for the 2016-2017 academic year will become accessible starting in March 2016.


Sheridan to perform at nextHolocaust family gathering

Noted speaker and performer Frannie Sheridan will present a stimulating program at the next Holocaust Family Gathering en-titled ‘Voice of Gen 2- The Power of Truth Telling’, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 18 from 1 - 3 p.m. at the Temple, Congregation Ahavath Chesed. During the talk, Sheridan will share her amaz-ing true life story and journey out of inherited PTSD into truth, humor and healing. The daughter of Orthodox Jewish Holocaust Survivors who converted to Catholicism, she will detail her courageous journey out of secrets and lies and into her amazing path

back home to her proud Jewish self. A dessert buffet will follow the talk, for more information please contact Naomi Mirensky at 904-394-5777 or [email protected].


Camp Ki Tov celebrates a second successful year


A second successful camp year drew to a close for JFCS and our partner Camp Ki Tov, support-ing children with special needs in our community. The children were able to experience a summer fi lled with lots of activities and fi eld trips while still being just one of the campers. This year the kids were able to participate in archery, fi shing, and swimming in addition to hosting fun events

such as a petting zoo, bounce house, and magical pirate stop by the camp. During other weeks, campers even ventured out to go bowling, visit the zoo, fi re station, and St. Augustine to help broaden their horizons. Everyone had a fantastic summer camp experi-ence thanks to the amazing staff who helped head up the program. Camp staff is already looking for-ward to expanding next summer’s program and overall experience for the kids.

Dignity U Wear helps support Achievers for Life program


Larri Jo Vretis, a JFCS Achiev-ers for Life (AFL) family advo-cate was tasked with exploring possible donations from Dignity U Wear to provide uniforms for new AFL sixth graders in antici-pation of the upcoming school year. As a friend of the agency, Linda Landwirth, spoke with Dignity U Wear and was able to arrange a donation of khaki pants but more importantly, obtained a grant from the Fanny Landwirth Foundation to purchase other uni-form clothing for AFL students. Vretis went above and beyond the

call of duty and her efforts will no doubt benefi t many of the AFL students and their families. For those who don’t know, Achiev-ers for Life is funded through the United Way to provide middle school students at-risk of drop-ping out with comprehensive services to help move them successfully into the next grade level. This in turn also increases their chances of completing high school on time. JFCS provides these services in ten Duval Coun-ty middle schools. Thanks again to both Larri Jo Vretis and Linda Landwirth for all of their help and support in this cause.

Kathy Wohlhuter, CFRE, is the new director of development and marketing at Jewish Family & Community Services and is delighted to be part of its leader-ship team. She comes to JFCS from the University of North Florida where she was previ-

ously director of development of the Coggin College of Business. Before joining UNF, she served as the senior director of develop-ment for the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College of Medicine and its medical center. Wohlhuter holds degrees from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and Northern Illinois University.


is terrifi c. To know that our children can go to Sunday school and learn about their culture and heritage is wonderful. To send our children to a Jewish day camp, and have an extra person to give them the help and support they need to be other kids, is amaz-ing. All of these are things that every parent wants for their child. Unfortunately, with a disability, this isn’t always possible, and for most, it is fi nancially impossible.

Having a disability can be very isolating and lonely for both the person and their family. Stares, nasty comments, unde-served judgments can be heard to deal with but when it happens within out Jewish community, it hurts even more. One of the programs that helps combat this is the ‘Sibling Support Group’. As mentioned previously, a disability affects not only the person, but the entire family. How it affects a mother or father, brothers or sis-

ters, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, is different. The adults in the family can fi nd support in several places, other family mem-bers, friends, support groups, and therapists, but until now, there has not been a support group for siblings. So often, it is the typical child that is forgotten: “they are fi ne”, or “they don’t need me like my other child does,” are phrases that are often uttered. Some be-come ‘the helper’ or ‘the protec-tor’, some may withdraw, and some may become angry. What-ever the impact, these siblings are often going through it alone. The sibling support group allows them to meet kids in similar situations and realize that they are not the only one dealing with this.

With disability awarness month coming up in October, and the continued support of this program as well as ones like it through the art of inclusion, it is important to keep in mind their ability to not only change the lives of many Jewish children and families living with a disability, but it will also alter the lives of those who are not.

Disability AwarnessContinued from p. 1

JFCS adds new director of development & marketing

JFCS will be closed for:Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 7)Rosh Hashanah (Monday, Sept. 14)(Tuesday, Sept. 15)Yom Kippur(Wednesday, Sept. 23)

Sukkot(Monday, Sept. 28)(Tuesday, Sept. 29)Simchat Torah (Monday, Oct. 5)(Tuesday, Oct. 6)


JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA

JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2015 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $88,422

MONEY MATTERS

By JEFF KLEIN,

Executive Director

JCF holds inaugural PAC committ ee meeting

BY KEVIN ROGERSJCF Project Coordinator

Rosh Hashanah2015 - 5776

messageIn a few weeks, Jews around the

world will celebrate the Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah. During this holiday, we will repeat the words T’shuvah, Tefi llah, and Tzedekah (repentance, prayer, and charity), to ensure that in the coming year we will avoid tragedy and hardship. It is interesting to me that we say these words to ensure a pleas-ant and healthy year and that we will “avoid the evil decree”. I have oft en won-dered why we say these words and not others. I have also wondered why we don’t have to commit to simply being nice people on Rosh Hashanah.

If we look deeper into these words, we can learn a few things about our own Jewish heritage and culture. We see that by repenting from what we’ve done and praying even more, we can begin to change ourselves by becoming better people. Th en, by learning about the giving of Tzedekah we can begin to aff ect change in the outside world. It is incredible to think that a religion would include these three simple words on one of its most important holidays. Placing the concept of giving to the forefront of our minds ensures that as Jews, we try to make the world a better place to live in. Th e giving of Tzedekah is not only to be practiced during this High Holiday season, but it is something that should be a focus of Jewish life year round. Charity and Tzedekah are playing very special roles in the lives of Jews here in Northeast Florida and at the JCF.

Families and individuals estab-lish donor advised funds. Th ese funds function as a charitable checking account with the JCF to assist in paying their synagogue dues and donations, or perhaps for capital funds or High Holiday ap-peals. Since we are set up to seam-lessly accept appreciated securities like stock, people may transfer their stock to the JCF and can save capital gains taxes while making a charitable gift . Others use the JCF to make contributions this time of year for programs and services in Israel.

Rosh Hashanah is a very special time of year. As we sit at our beau-tiful tables with abundant foods and a round raisin challah, we may lose sight that Tzedekah is needed by local families facing economic hardships, now more than ever. With people losing their jobs and gas and grocery prices ever increas-ing, our local agencies are being pressed into action to assist. Food, housing, and medical care can all be provided through our gener-ous Tzedekah to many worthwhile organizations.

As we come to the close of 5775, Jewish men and women can make a powerful statement in the Jewish and secular world by directing their Tzedekah and transforming our community into a place where we all share in the abundance of good life and happiness. On behalf of our JCF President Sue Nussbaum and our JCF offi cers, board, and the JCF staff , we wish you and your families a very healthy and happy New Year.

• B’nai Tzedek –Th e B’nai Tzedek Youth Philanthropy pro-gram has long been a teen’s fi rst step in learning the importance of philanthropy and Tzedakah. To date, there are more than 270 participants in the B’nai Tzedek program at the JCF. Last month, a group composed of individu-als involved in some way with a B’nai Mitzvah program in our community began meeting. In the coming months, they will be looking for ways to increase the long-term engagement and impact of the B’nai Tzedek pro-gram for past, current and future participants

• Investment Oversight

Committee (IOC) – Members

of the IOC continue the work of identifying and selecting the best Investment Management Advisor for the JCF. Keep up to date with more information as it becomes available in the coming months.

• ReBranding – Th e JCF rebranding eff ort is beginning to take shape. Be on the lookout for a new JCF and CJL logo soon.

• Lunch and Learn – It was an honor to host Rabbi Feigen-baum, Education Director at Etz Chaim Synagogue, and about a dozen others for the July ‘Lunch & Learn’. Th anks to Rabbi Feigenbaum for allowing the JCF to host as well as share vital insights into the Jewish concept of Tzedakah.

We are delighted to report that the inaugural meeting of the JCF Professional Advisory Com-mittee (PAC) was held Tuesday, July 28 in Jacksonville. Th e JCF PAC will play a pivotal role in ensuring our community’s future as the group will provide profes-sional support and guidance on endowment opportunities within the Jewish community. It will

also present educational semi-nars to community members and be listed on the new JCF web site. In time, PAC participants will be recognized by their peers throughout Northeast Florida as experts in working with indi-viduals and families in Jewish philanthropy and estate plan-ning.

JCF PAC members include: Sheryl Bordelon (Capital Ana-lysts, Inc), Justin Breidenstein (Neville Breidenstein Wainio CPAs), Matthew Edelman

(Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP), Bill Grant (Prudential), Barbara Jaff e (Morgan Stanley Smith Barney), Mark Kraus (Innovative Financial Solutions, Inc), Louis Larmoyeux III (Northwestern Mutual), Bert Livingston (Na-tional Financial Services Group), Daniel Miller (Brightway Insur-ance), Eliot Safer (Duss, Kenney, Safer, Hampton & Joos, PA), Da-vid Vandroff (Vandroff Insurance Agency) and Louis Walsh (Walsh Investment Consulting Group).

An extremely exciting event

we are planning is a JCF PAC trip to Israel. Th e cost of the trip will be subsidized through the generosity of a JCF donor. Our hope is that this special trip will be aff ordable for everyone who wants to participate. If you are interested in becoming a member of the JCF PAC, or for more information, please contact Executive Director Jeff Klein at 904-265-6855 or e-mail him at jeff .klein@jewishfoundationnefl .org.

Partner Spotlight: Jewish Federation of Jacksonville

Th e Jewish Federation of Jacksonville and the Jewish Com-munity Foundation of Northeast Florida have a unique relationship which acts as a shining example of how federations and Jewish foundations can work together toward the enrichment of the community. Since the inception of the JCF, volunteer leadership has been deeply involved with the Federation. Th e Federation sup-ports the JCF not only fi nancially, but in many other way as many of our key JCF volunteer leaders and board members have served or are currently serving on the Federa-tion board.

As professionals, Federation executive director Alan Margolies and JCF executive director, Jeff Klein have forged a strong rela-tionship, collaborating to ensure that donors to the Federation know not only how to establish Annual Campaign Endowments (ACE) and Lion of Judah Endow-ment funds (LOJE), but why it is so important. Th e JCF has about $ 4.5 million of current and future ACE and LOJE funds. Th ese funds have been established through life insurance policies, bequests, cash and appreciated securities. Th e JCF and Federation are commit-

ted to growing this segment of endowment funds.

You may be wondering why someone would establish an ACE or LOJE. Recently, a local couple living in a retirement community met to discuss establishing their own ACE. Th e couple, well into their 80’s, had contributed to the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville’s Annual Campaign for nearly 60 years. It has been during that span of time that both the husband and wife personally witnessed the diff erence their annual gift has made in the lives of people here in Jacksonville, in Israel and around the world. Our local and national federation system, which includes the Joint Distribution Commit-tee in Europe and the Jewish Agency in Israel, have saved and enhanced the lives of millions of Jews worldwide. Th at is why they have given for so many years and continue to give to this day.

Th is couple was shown an il-lustration on how an ACE could be established through some simple estate planning so that their support will continue even when they are no longer here. Th eir Federation annual gift is $1,000. To establish an ACE in perpetuity their endowment fund would need to be about 20 times that amount ($20,000

in this example). Th e JCF uses a grant model whereby we pay out a percentage of the fund’s annual value. Currently, the JCF pays out fi ve percent and in this case that percentage would represent an annual gift to the Federation of $1,000 in perpetuity.

In the almost 60 years this wonderful couple has given to the Federation, they’ve also had the privilege of witnessing many amazing events. Locally, they’ve seen the Jewish community grow in leaps and bounds, transform-ing the lives of many through the programs and services funded by Federation and its allocations. Globally, they have witnessed the establishment of the State of Israel

as well as the resettling of Jews from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia. Th is couple is commit-ted to ensuring that the Federa-tion has the necessary funds to maintain its support for critical programs for generations to come and because of that, they know their Federation gift has made a diff erence in the past and will continue to make an signifi cant impact in the future.

To learn how you may establish an ACE or LOJE, please contact Jeff Klein at the JCF, 904-265-6855, jeff .klein@jewishfounda-tionnefl .org or Alan Margolies at the Federation, 904-448-5000, ext. 207, [email protected].

BY KEVIN ROGERSJCF Project Coordinator


RIVER GARDEN 2015 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $195,000

RIVER GARDEN SENIOR SERVICES



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High Holy Day enrichment classes now offered at Michele Block Gan Yeladim

As the initial excitement of the new school year begins to take shape, classes at Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kin-dergarten are beginning to settle into a steady pace. While students and teachers are busy with their studies, excitement for the fast-approaching High Holiday season is growing. The high holidays are a special time for Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kinder-garten the students. Through the school’s educators and resources, not only will kids participate in engaging holiday experiences, but they will also take part in thought-ful lessons about the meaning and value of numerous Jewish holiday traditions. During Rosh Hashanah, stu-dents will explore the signifi cance

of apples and honey in the New Year. The Everything Apples pro-gram takes place Friday, Sept. 11, at 1:30 p.m. Led by Block Gan Judaics Instructor Karen Morse, students will bake an apple treat for a sweet New Year and make an apple project to take home. In addition, students will be delight-ed by the annual blowing of the Shofar by Rabbi Lief from Tem-ple Ahavath Chesed. On Friday, Oct. 2, at 1:30 pm, students will join Morah Karen in the sukkah to create things to taste, touch, hear, see and feel in a Sensational Sensory Sukkot adventure. Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten holiday enrichment classes are open to children ages three to six throughout the entire community. For more information, contact Ro-chelle Golomb at 904-730-2100 ext. 259 or [email protected].


Students will learn the signifi gance of apples and honey when celebrat-ing the new year as well as the blowing of the shofar on Yom Kippur

Prominent JCC educational consultant to visit Block Gan

The JCC Association of North America plays a major role in supporting the efforts of JCA teachers and on Sept. 10, Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten faculty will welcome Mark Horowitz, the JCC vice president of early childhood education and family engagement, to share his exper-tise, insights, and inspirations. Horowitz comes to Jacksonville from New York City where he serves as a consultant for JCC schools around the nation. Mi-chele Block Gan Yeladim faculty

is eager to gain the thoughtful perspectives of one of the lead-ing authorities on Jewish early childhood education. Horowitz’s areas of expertise include current research trends and exemplary practices in the fi eld of early childhood education. “Having support from the JCC Associa-tion has been invaluable to our school,” said Michele Block Gan Yeladim director Theresa Levy. “We are always provided with opportunities to learn the most current and successful teaching methods and when given these tools for success, our teachers always rise to the occasion in the classroom,” she added.

As Rabbi Ishmael ben Rabbi

Jose once said, “One who studies Torah in order to teach is given the means to study and teach; and one who studies the Torah in order to practice is given the means to study and to teach, to observe and practice.” This phi-losophy is exemplifi ed within the classrooms of Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kinder-garten. Equipped with a wealth of resources for teacher training and professional development, Michele Block Gan Yeladim teachers are always observing, refl ecting and practicing methods to learn and grow as educators and this special visit from Mr. Horowitz will enable them to do just that.


Martin J. Gottlieb Day School welcomes new crop of kindergartners for 2015-16

The Martin J. Gottlieb Day School is excited to start the 2015-16 school year with a large class of 17 Kindergartners. On

the fi rst day of class (Aug. 24), the new students and their parents received a blessing from Rabbi Jim Rogozen, Head of Schools at Galinsky Academy, as they began their exciting journey of Jewish Day School education. Led by

General Studies teacher Pamela Lewis, herself a day school alum, and Jewish Studies teacher Edith Horovitz, the entire staff looks forward to celebrating many milestones with the class of 2024!

By Martin J. Gottlieb Day School


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Jacksonville Jewish History on display at The Temple Archives


Nestled away just beyond Congregation Ahavath Chesed’s library is a small room known as the Temple Archives. A sign above the door denotes that his-tory is housed there but a simple step inside those hallowed halls makes everyone realize it is a space and a place where history comes alive. Temple archivist Hazel Mack has been working to collect and perfect the growing collection long before some of the synagogue’s current confi rmands were even born. “How these archives began, was in about 1980, Natalie Glick-stein was asked to write about the 100-year history of this congrega-tion which had been chartered in 1882,” she explained. “So she recruited me back in 1987 and got me involved with the archives and I fell in love with it.” For Mack it became a labor of love as each day she spent there was a lesson in local Jewish his-tory. “It was a slow process as we began getting displays for the confi rmation pictures and trying to gather pictures of past presi-dents in addition to fi ling things.” One photo of a particular past president proved to be most signifi cant as it was of Morris Dzialynski, the fi rst and only Jewish major of Jacksonville. As the collection of records began to grow so did Mack’s need for space to house all of her and the Temple’s precious collection. “They started working on the construction for the addition to the building here and I pleaded with them to give me an archive room because there was no place to work or display anything,” she remembered. “So as the room started to develop, every time

I would turn around there was another box of things in here.” But Mack wasn’t alone in her efforts as she was afforded the time and hard work of others in the community. “I was very fortunate in having a lady by the name of Lois Gilbert who gave me her time and we spent about two days a week here and about six hours a day catalog-ing everything,” she said about the archives’ earliest days. “I’ve had a lot of people in here helping input information over the years and it took a lot of time but so far we’ve got about 15,000 entries in the computer and we’re not fi nished.” Even though the Temple’s col-lection may be humble in com-parison with other larger scale historical archives around town, it is quite professional and can stand tall among any archival organiza-tion in the region. “We have acid free boxes for everything and we have vital statistic books, keeping records of everyone who was born, died, Bar or Bat-Mitzvah’d, married, confi rmation converted, we have them all,” she boasted. Despite the sizable collection that now calls the archive room home, Mack is always willing to look over someone’s prospective donation to see if there is room for it among the other historical artifacts from the Jacksonville Jewish community. “I mean there is always some-one bringing something in and some of it I can keep but some of it I can’t,” she explained. The Temple Archives is located at Congregation Ahavath Chesed, 8727 San Jose Blvd. Archivist Hazel Mack can be reached at [email protected] for more information.

Scan QR code to watch video feature of Mack and the Temple

Archives on

By Jacksonville Jewish Center Sisterhood

Next month the Jacksonville Jewish Center Sisterhood will hold its annual Paid Up Mem-bership Meeting, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11 at 12 p.m. The JJC Sisterhood is comprised of women of all ages with different interests that come together to make a difference in our com-munity. “If you haven’t come to an event in a while, please come and check us out because I know

you will be pleasantly surprised that we have evolved with the times and our events are timely and meaningful,” said sisterhood president Marjie Rogozinski. “I believe that time is precious and limited, and I want every woman that attends a meeting or event to feel that it was worth their time,” she added. The organization’s theme this year is women who can make a difference, which in essence describes exactly what the Jacksonville Jewish Center Sisterhood is all about.

JJC Sisterhood to hold its annual paid up membership meeting

Fall registration now open for Beth El – The Beaches Synagogue religious school

Beth El - The Beaches Syna-gogue’s Religious School is accepting registration for the upcoming 2015-16 school year. Opening day is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and there will be a special

guest during T’Filah services for both students and their parents. Parents will be able to enjoy a bagel and a cup of coffee, while kibbitzing with the board of trust-ees. For more information or for access to the forms to sign up, call Marla at 904-273-9100 or email her at [email protected].

By Beth El - The Beaches Synagogue


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BirthsShelby Rena Rauchwarger

was welcomed to the world on July 22, 2015 by proud parents Alicia and Jesse Rauchwarger, in addition to big brother, Bradley. The proud grandpar-ents are Annette and Jerry Goodfarb, Deborah and Don-ald Kaye, and Dr. Alan and Diana Rauchwarger. Her Great-grandfa-ther is Edward Bernard. Shelby is named in memory of her great-grandmothers Sibby Millrood and Rena Bernard.

Mazel Tov to Paige and Lee Lemay of Lake Mary, Fla. on the birth of their daughter, Maya Harper Lemay, on Tuesday, July 7. The proud grandparents are Barbara and Jan Butensky of Jacksonville and Miriam Lemay and Tommy Lemay, who call Israel home. Great grandparents are Sally and Henry Butensky of Jacksonville and Seymour and Shirley Gelzer of Boca Raton, Fla.

Madison Olivia Lewis, daugh-ter of Melissa and Greg Lewis and sister of Lorelei, of Orlando, was born on August 11. The proud grandparents are Renie and Gerald Levin of Jacksonville and Linda Lewis, of Topeka, Kan.

B’nai Mitzvah Adi Hayam and Alena Meris Zuckerman, daughters of Tonia Burns, and David and Vickie Zucker-man, will be called to the Torah on the occasion of their B’not Mitzvah, Saturday, Sept. 5 at Congrega-tion Beth-El The Beaches Synagogue. Adi is in the eighth grade at Landrum Middle School, has been an A/B honor roll student, placing second in the Tropicana Speech Contest. In her spare time, Adi’s enjoys playing sports, reading, music and taking part in beach activities in addition to assisting younger children and playing with all of her friends. Alena is in the seventh grade at Landrum Middle School, where she is an A/B Honor Roll student. Her hobbies include listening to music, pho-tography and going to the beach. For their mitzvah project, Adi and Alena have done volunteer work for many community service organizations, including Winston Family YMCA, Camp Invention and Generation W. Andrew Wright, son of Lisa Wright, will be called to the Torah on the occasion of his Bar Mitz-vah, Saturday, Sept. 5, at Congre-gation Ahavath Chesed. Sharing in the simcha will be his sisters

Sarah, Lauren and Hallie; grandpar-ents; and many other friends and family. Drew is in the eighth

grade at Patriot Oaks Academy, where he is in the gifted program. He plays the clarinet and saxo-phone in his school symphonic and jazz bands and was selected for the 2015 St. Johns All-County Middle School Honor Band. He also plays baseball for Creeks Baseball Club (CBC) Riverhawks Grey and this will be his sixth season playing travel baseball.

Sympathies … To the family of Ruth Olgin Baker, who passed away July 28 at the age of 88. She is survived by her husband, Milton Baker, her son Paul Garber, as well as her stepdaughter Lois Tompkins in addition to her many grand-children and great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held on July 30 in Newburgh, N.Y., with interment in California. Contribu-tions in her memory may be made to the Jacksonville Jewish Center. … To the family of Raymond Berson, who passed away July 24, at the age of 52. He is survived by his wife, Sharon Greene, parents, Judel and Char-lotte Berson, and sisters Sharon (David) McCall and Naomi (Anthony) Chait. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Jacksonville Jewish Center or to the charitable organization of your choosing.… To the family of Virginia Monroe, who passed away Aug. 3 at the age of 89. She is survived by her daughters, Mareda (Mi-chael) Friedman Vada (Bob) Mills and Sandy Monroe, grandchil-dren, Ari (Tanya) Friedman, Mor-risa (James) Hansen, Jeff (Ange-la) Molliver, and David Molliver, as well as great-grandson Liam Friedman. Funeral services were held Aug. 7 in Weston, W.V. Con-tributions in her memory may be made to the Jacksonville Jewish Center. … To the family of long-time Congregation Ahavath Chesed member and Jacksonville business man Stanley Schwartz Davi-dow, who passed away July 31 in Dallas Texas at the age of 75. He is survived by his two sons, Malcolm Hartley Davidow of Wynnewood, Pa. and Seth Carlin Davidow of Dallas, daughters-in-law Melany Trudeau and Marni Davidow; and three grandchil-dren: Gabrielle, Ari and Joelle Davidow. Funeral services were held at Temple Emanu-El, Dallas, with his brother, Rabbi Fred Vic-tor Davidow of Philadelphia, of-fi ciating. Donations may be made in his honor to the Alzheimer’s Association, Dallas Symphony Orchestra or Temple Emanu-El.… To the family of Jacksonville Jewish Center member Lester Edelstein, who passed away Aug. 4 in Hollywood, Fla. at the age of 92. He is survived by his children, Sandra, Barbara, and Mindy; his brother Lloyd (Lois) Edelstein; and his granddaughter Rachel. A graveside service was held Aug. 10 at the New Center Cemetery. Contributions in his memory can be directed to the Jacksonville Jewish Center.… To the family of Sylvia Turetz, who passed away Aug. 12 at the age of 88. She is survived by her husband Richard Turetz and children, Marilyn Kanas and Alan Turetz. Funeral services were held Aug. 14 at the Jacksonville National Cemetery. The fam-ily requests that contributions in her memory be made to Temple Sisterhood Braille Group. … To the family of Edmund Herring of Virginia Beach, Va., who passed away Aug. 14 at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife Marcy as well as his,

LIFECYCLES children, Michael (Sherry) Herring, Charles (Terry) Her-ring, Joyce Herring Bolton; and grandchildren, Lisa, Craig, Tyler, Kelsey, and Sarah. Minyans were held at the Herring home in Jack-sonville, Aug. 19-20. Contribu-tions in his memory can be made to the Myasthenia Gravis Founda-tion of America. his memory can be made to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America.… To the family of former Ft. Lauderdale Jewish Federation Executive Director Joe Telles, who passed away Aug. 12. He is survived by his wife Selma and daughters Robin and Judy Lewis. Funeral services took place Aug. 14, in South Florida and a shiva was observed locally at the Lewis home in Jacksonville. … To the family of Jacksonville Jewish Center member Herbert Gordon, who passed away Aug. 20 at the age of 76. His is sur-vived by his fi rst cousin, Alan (Renee) Gordon. Funeral services were held Aug. 21 at the New Center Cemetery in Jacksonville. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Jacksonville Jew-ish Center, River Garden Hebrew Home, or Mt. Carmel Gardens - Senior Living.

AnnouncementsThe Torah Academy of Jacksonville’s Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy The Torah Academy of Jack-sonville admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Torah Academy of Jackson-ville does not discriminate in areas of personnel and employee concerns on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, marital status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Torah Academy of Jacksonville is an Equal Opportu-nity Employer.

To submit an item for lifecycles, please email it to [email protected]. Due date is the 6th of the month. For guidelines of how to write Bar/Bat Mitzvah, wedding or obituary announcements, go to jewishjacksonville.org/news under “Share your news.”

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Jax Jewish Center well represented at ICARE Nehemiah AssemblyBY RABBI MERRILL SHAPIROTemple Shalom of Deltona

More than a dozen members of the Jacksonville Jewish Center represented the Jewish Communi-ty as some 3,000 people gathered at Potter’s House International Ministries this spring to call on government leaders to act affi rma-tively on a variety of social issues facing Duval County. So critical was the participation of JJC mem-bers that the entire program began with an invocation by the Center’s Hazzan Jesse Holzer. ICARE, the Interfaith Coali-tion for Action, Reconciliation and Empowerment, is comprised of 38 congregations in Duval County and is now in its 17th year. Combined, these congrega-tions represent more than 30,000 residents from a broad cross-section of the Jacksonville com-munity. ICARE is incorporated in Florida as a non-profi t, 501 (c)(3) tax exempt and politically non-partisan organization. It was created to powerfully address citywide concerns related to is-sues of justice and fairness and is a direct action organization not a direct service organization. The Coalition uses its collective people power to press elected offi cials and other city lead-ers on county-wide solutions to the problems which plague our

community such as crime, low graduation rates, homelessness, unemployment and other commu-nity concerns. Nehemiah, described in the biblical book which bears his name, was the cupbearer t the King of Persia in the fi fth century B.C.E. Learning that the rem-nants in Judah were in distress and that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, he asked the king for permission to return and rebuild the city. Upon his arrival in Jerusalem, he exacted a prom-ise of cooperation from the people who declared that, “we, according to our ability, will redeem our brethren.” And it was in the same spirit that the representatives of the JJC participated with the goal to redeem all of their brothers and sisters in the Jacksonville community, including the poor, disenfranchised and powerless who live among us. The Jacksonville Jewish Cen-ter invites everyone to participate with its Rodef Tzedek/Social Justice Committee. Last month, the JJN highlighted Hazzan Hol-zer’s trip to Charleston which was organized by ICARE. For more information about Rodef Tzedek and ICARE, please contact Haz-zan Holzer at [email protected] or Kim Glasgal at [email protected].

Celebrate the seasons at Beth El – The BeachesBy Beth El - The Beaches Synagogue

Beth El The Beaches Synagogue is excited to invite its congre-gants to its annual ‘Celebrate The Seasons’ membership cocktail party, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, from 6:30 - 8:30pm. The event is an opportunity to mix and mingle with other members of the Beth El family and is a chance for leadership to say thank you for all the congregation’s support and

hard work throughout the year. Beth El continues to fl ourish at the Beach due to the efforts of all its members. All paid members of the synagogue are invited and this year for the fi rst time, babysitting will be offered during the party, provided by the temple’s teens. If you have any questions or are interested in hearing more about Beth El The Beaches Synagogue, please call 904-273-9100 or email [email protected].

Look mom … I got a strike!

Ollie Zicht had a great time to go along with his equally great performance at Temple Bet Yam’s recent family bowling party

The Temple looks to save lives with blood and bone marrow drives this September

Congregation Ahavath Chesed (The Temple) is com-mitted to tikkun olam (repairing the world.) The Tikkun Olam Committee organizes opportuni-ties throughout the year which remind us how blessed we are by the bounty that surrounds. It also serves as a reminder of the pov-erty and hardship that surrounds us as well. It’s with this in mind that on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 9 a.m., the One Blood bloodmobile will be parked in The Temple’s front parking lot. Those 17 years old and up, who are in good health and weighing at least 110 pounds are eligible to donate. 16- year-olds can participate as well with parental consent.

“We cannot eliminate the challenges too many families face but we can make a differ-

ence in someone’s life, each and every day,” expressed Mike Elkin, Chair of the Tikkun Olam Committee. “It is not hard and it is not taxing, imagine how different a community we could be, if everyone did some act of kindness every day.”

In less than 45 minutes, one donor could potentially save the life of three people. The need for blood often exceeds the supply, so because of this every donation is valuable. Goldie Lansky, Ex-ecutive Director at The Temple had a personal experience with this subject recently as she met a gentleman at the Jacksonville Sharks’ season fi nale. That man was wearing a t-shirt which read, ‘My life was saved by a blood donor.’ “Suddenly, there was a face to all my years of giving blood. That image is indelible

and I want to sign up now every 56 days,” Lansky said.

In addition to the blood drive, Yom Kippur afternoon, Con-gregation Ahavath Chesed will host its annual Bone Marrow Registry drive. With this simple venture, a single person can save a life in just fi ve minutes and only with the swab of a cheek. “If you are 45 or younger and in good health, you are eligible to participate,” said registry drive chair Susan Elinoff. “We are proud to have helped grow the registry over the last three years and are committed to its con-tinued growth.” Those who are worshipping Yom Kippur morn-ing with a congregation other than The Temple, are welcome to come between 1 - 2 p.m. to start the New Year off right by swab-bing a cheek and saving a life.

By Congregation Ahavath Chesed

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Etz Chaim’s lunch & learns create nourishment for the mind, body and the soul

BY KEN JACOBSFederation Campaign Chair

For the third year in a row, Lunch and Learns will provide an opportunity during the hustle and bustle of our hectic workday to pause and refl ect on how to bring meaning to our lives. Each month, Rabbi Avi Feigenbaum, Etz Chaim Synagogue’s education director, visits with employees and professionals to conduct these engaging lunch programs at noon, alternating between Downtown Jacksonville and Mandarin loca-tions. Whether discussing the meaning of an upcoming holiday, personal growth or everyday life issues, Rabbi Feigenbaum facilitates interactive discussions

with enthusiasm and passion. In addition to providing a delicious kosher lunch free of charge, these monthly sessions are uplifting and informative. This year’s Lunch and Learns resume in Mandarin at the JCA on Wednesday, Sept. 9 and Down-town, Friday Sept. 18 at the law offi ces of GrayRobinson, P.A. These events are open to men and women of all denominations and backgrounds. Past participants are grateful for the time Rabbi Feigenbaum devotes each month to provide a delightful oasis of meaning and inspiration in our daily lives. For further informa-tion, please contact Rabbi Fei-genbaum at [email protected].

DOWNTOWN LUNCH & LEARNS

* held on Fridays @ 12 p.m.

Sept. 18 / Oct. 23 / Nov. 13Dec. 11 / Jan. 22 / Feb. 19Mar. 11 / Apr. 8 / May 13

MANDARIN LUNCH & LEARNS * held on Wednesdays

@ 12 p.m.Sept. 9 / Oct. 14 / Nov. 11Dec. 2 / Jan. 13 / Feb. 3Mar. 2 / Apr. 13 / May 25

The Temple’s annual Mah Jongg tournament returns in October

The Temple Sisterhood is thrilled to announce that this year’s annual Mah Jongg tour-nament will take place Sunday, Oct. 11 at Congregation Aha-vath Chesed in Jacksonville. The tournament, now in its sixth year, attracts players from as far away Orlando to southern Georgia. Registration will begin at 11 a.m. followed by lunch and tournament play begins at 12:30 pm. There will be a total of three rounds of Mah Jongg games and awards and door prizes will be presented at the conclusion of the event. Mah Jongg items and gifts will also be on sale during the tourna-

ment.“I thought the tournament

was wonderful, as always, and our group was very proud that another Amelia Islander won second place,” said Amelia Island resident Sara, about last years event. “The food was delicious and our group enjoyed every aspect of the event.”

As the number of partici-

pants increases each year, every player is encouraged to submit the registration form early. Reg-istration is just $25 and forms are available at the Temple – Congregation Ahavath Chesed, 8727 San Jose Blvd., or online at www.thetemplejacksonville.org. The deadline for registra-tion is Saturday, Sept. 26.

All Mah Jongg players of ages and ability levels are welcome to spend a fun–fi lled afternoon while meeting new players, so be sure to grab your friends and attend the hottest event in Northeast Florida. For further information, or those with questions can call either of the event co-chairs, Ann Stone 904-565-2772 or Sheila Horow-itz 904-234-7104.

By The Temple Sisterhood

Lunch & Learns led by Rabbi Avi Feigenbaum of Etz Chaim Synagogue will be available in two locations this fall, Downtown Jacksonville and Mandarin

Kutsher’s screening coming to the beaches

After two previous success-ful showings at River Garden, ‘Welcome to Kutsher’s’ is com-ing to Beth El – The Beaches Synagogue, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015 at 5 p.m. Kutsher’s Coun-try Club was the last surviving Jewish resort in the Catskills. One of the legendary Borscht Belt hotels during its heyday, Kutsher’s was family-owned

and operated for more than 100 years. Exploring the full Dirty Dancing-era Catskills experi-ence— and how it changed American pop culture in the comedic, sports and vacation industries— this award-winning documentary captures a last glimpse of a lost world as it disappears before our eyes. The story of Kutsher’s is uniquely American, unexpectedly mov-ing and a vital chapter – pre-viously unexplored – of the

modern Jewish experience. The fi lm is being shown courtesy of the Jewish Federation of Jack-sonville’s Shalom Jacksonville Division and refreshments will be provided by River Garden Hebrew Home. Reservations are a must as this program will fi ll up fast, so reserve your seat today. RSVP by email at gailsgreenfi [email protected] or call Gail Greenfi eld at 904-534-7381

BY GAIL GREENFIELDBeth El - The Beaches Synagogue

Jacksonville Women’s Rosh Chodesh Group in search of new members

Did you know there is a Women’s Rosh Chodesh group that meets in Jacksonville? It convenes 11 times a year in the chapel of Congregation Ahavath Chesed (8727 San Jose Blvd.) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday’s following a Rosh Chodesh and is open to all women in the community that are Bat Mitzvah age and over. In the tra-dition of Rosh Chodesh (the head of the month) it is ‘a special time for women’, which is why this group comes together in prayer and song. The group also shares special readings and meaningful discussions on topics of interest

to Jewish women. It is a truly unique time to come together each month, as the moon goes from waning to waxing and to experi-ence the energy of starting anew. Since we will all be welcoming Rosh Chodesh Tishrei at Rosh Hashanah, please plan to join us when we come together next, Thursday, Oct. 15, to welcome the month of Cheshvan. Those planning to attend are invited to bring a friend, daughter or even their mother, and of course their tambourines. For more informa-tion, contact Goldie Lansky at 904-733-7078, [email protected] or Helen Hill at 904-998-2187, [email protected].

BY HELLEN HILLWomen’s Rosh Chodesh Group

Jacksonville Jewish News • September 2015www.jewishjacksonville.orgw

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